CAMPAIGNERS are calling on the Government to bring thousands of public sector jobs to Bradford and "breathe life back into economy."

The Government has announced it intends to move in excess of 20,000 public sector jobs to the North of England - and those behind a petition say the jobs should go to citizens in "one of the youngest and most dynamic cities in the North".

Matthew Crowther, a proud Bradfordian and coffee shop worker, and Jac Morton of Peardrop Creative have teamed up for the campaign, urging the district's MPs to push for the investment in Parliament.

Matthew told the Telegraph & Argus: "We've got things like Bradford Live coming, the new market on Darley Street, investment in Forster Square railway station. We've got things like the new office development next to City Park. Bradford Council have plans for a public sector hub to be built at Jacob's Well. Bradford's in a great position to be this work force.

"With its young population and the dynamic that brings we need these jobs for the future of the young people in Bradford and keep the talent in the city.

"We already know unemployment is inevitably going to rise because of the situation we are in. Investment and creating jobs in Bradford is absolutely vital to keep the city moving forward.

"We can't stand back and just hope things are going to get better.

"The Government talk about levelling up, the North and the South. The North needs to be levelled up. You find that most of the investment gets channelled into the core cities, Leeds, Manchester. These are two core cities and then your smaller cities like Bradford, they miss out on the lion's share of investment as that gets channelled into Leeds. There needs to be a fair investment."

Bradford Telegraph and Argus:

Jac, who set up his own marketing agency in Bradford two years ago, said this investment is an opportunity to answer calls expressed "over a decade" ago.

He explained: "Bradford has needed large office employers for over a decade. With Rishi Sunak announcing that 22,000 public sector jobs will be moving up North by 2030, now is the perfect opportunity for Bradford to stake a claim to a couple of thousand jobs to be housed in the city centre. Breathing the much needed life back in to economy."

Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe, leader of Bradford Council, said she has spoken with the Chancellor to make the case for the jobs to be based in Bradford, describing how the loss of HMRC left many "disappointed".

The leader continued: "We have been encouraging Government to invest in Bradford district for some time now, not because we need hand-outs, but because we are an excellent place to invest.

“We are positioned in the heart of the North of England and have a diverse, youthful workforce. We were all very disappointed when Government decided to remove HMRC jobs from our district. The Council along with district MPs battled with ministers to change their minds. Unfortunately, we were not successful.

“I welcome people supporting the district and speaking positively about the place. As residents we can, on occasion, be our own worst enemies talking the district down. If we can’t talk positively about the district, then how can we expect others to.

“We have a lot of potential and if, post Brexit, the Government is serious about their ambition to ‘level up the north’, then Bradford district is exactly the kind of place they need to invest in."

Shipley MP Philip Davies and Bradford East MP Imran Hussain also backed the call for more investment.

Mr Hussain said: "Compared to other cities across the country, Bradford is badly underrepresented in the number of public sector jobs based here, and I have long been campaigning to bring more well-paid, high-skill public sector roles to the city, leading the fight against the closure of Bradford’s HMRC offices and the transfer of these jobs to Leeds and pressing the Chancellor and Prime Minister to stop neglecting Bradford as a public sector base in favour of places like Leeds, Manchester and Newcastle.”

"As a vibrant and growing city with a young population, skilled workforce and greater capacity for expansion, Bradford is the perfect place for basing public sector roles that would have a hugely beneficial impact on the District, so if the Prime Minister wants to prove he is truly committed to ‘levelling up’ the North, he can start by ensuring we get our fair share of the public sector roles he plans on spreading out across the country."

Mr Davies said: "I have been leading the calls for the new National Infrastructure Bank to be based in my constituency and so clearly I support this call.

"However, the affluence of the Bradford district will depend on it attracting much more private sector investment. Public sector jobs alone will never be sufficient alone."

You can sign the petition by searching https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/563400