Around 50,000 civil service jobs could be axed as Chancellor Rachel Reeves prepares to put the squeeze on Whitehall at her upcoming spending review.
Officials suggested about 10 per cent of roles would be scrapped by 2030 as Ms Reeves and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer look to shrink the size of the state.
There are currently around 515,000 full-time equivalent posts in the civil service, which is up from around 380,000 in June 2016.
An official briefed on negotiations over Ms Reeves' spending review told the Financial Times: 'I wouldn't be surprised if the number comes down to 450,000 by 2030.'
Sir Keir recently outlined his ambition to reform what he described as an 'overcautious and flabby' state.
