BORIS: GET BACK TO YOUR DESKS!
Empty offices are killing our town centres, warns the PM
BORIS Johnson will next week tell office workers to start returning to their desks to help save the British economy.
The Prime Minister will use an update on virus strategy to press employers to start ordering their staff back to the workplace – if it is safe.
He and Chancellor Rishi Sunak are said to be aghast at the impact empty offices are having on town centre shops and restaurants – and worried that widespread homeworking is wrecking Britain’s productivity. Government sources say Mr
Johnson told Whitehall chiefs this week to set an example by starting to return civil servants to their desks. On a conference call with 200 senior civil servants, he said it was ‘more efficient and productive’ than working from home.
He added: ‘Now we are asking primary school children to come back, now that we are opening shops, and pubs are coming back, I do think it’s time for the great British civil service departments of state to get back to the office if we can do so in a Covid-secure way.
‘I know there are logistical difficulties but we have got to get back to our desks if we can. I do hope, in the words of Vera Lynn, we will meet again and get everybody back together.’
He has also asked business and City chiefs, including Goldman Sachs boss Richard Gnodde, to order more staff back to base.
Mr Johnson hinted at the new strategy in a public Q&A session yesterday, saying people should ‘start to go to work now if you can’ and adding: ‘I want to see more people feeling confident to use the shops, use the restaurants, and get back into work – but only if we all follow the guidance.
‘The faster we can get back to the status quo the better.’
The PM has asked officials for a ‘Roadmap 2’ for returning to a more normal life, with a ninemonth timetable for scrapping most social distancing rules. He is wrangling with Government scientists about how to do it safely.
He is particularly concerned about the effect of homeworking in London, whose normally vibrant economy helps power the UK. A senior source said: ‘It doesn’t matter how much Rishi Sunak spends on incentives and subsidies to help restaurants and shops if their customers are sat at home.’
Many banks and companies have told staff they are likely to be working from home until September or even the end of the year, leaving business areas deserted.
Retailers including Boots, Pret A Manger, Upper Crust and TM Lewin are among those slashing thousands of jobs as a result. James Reed, head of recruitment firm Reed, said: ‘It’s clear offices re-opening would be a positive for the economy and would bring a lot of life back into the cities.’
Government offices have been deserted since the start of March. At the Department for Education, for example, just 20 staff out of 6,500 are regularly in the office. Mr
Johnson said he aimed to avoid a second spike using test-and-trace and local lockdowns but wanted to avoid a new national lockdown at all costs. ‘I do want to get back to a world where people are able to shake hands again,’ he added.
His message suggests the PM has overruled Health Secretary Matt Hancock, who has been cautious about easing the lockdown.
In a web chat with a women’s group yesterday, he said working from home had become the ‘new norm’ and suggested people could be given a new right to request it. He said there was a ‘big argument that home working had raised productivity. Whitehall sources said the PM did not agree.
But aides later suggested Mr Hancock had been talking about existing rules that give people the right to request flexible working.
PACKAGE holiday prices have fallen to record lows, with sevennight summer breaks being sold for under £100.
Travel firms are slashing their prices in a bid to salvage what is left of the summer season as quarantine restrictions are lifted.
Last Minute is offering seven nights at Darius Firenze B&B in Florence in August for £98 and at the Black&Red Apartment in Sofia, Bulgaria, in July, the price is just £90.
It is even possible to get seven nights at a luxury fivestar resort for under £200 per person. Heavily discounted deals also include accommodation at threestar hotels and B&Bs and return flights.
As of yesterday, British tourists no longer have to selfisolate for 14 days after coming back from 59 countries including Spain, Italy and France. Holidaymakers will be able to travel to Greece quarantinefree on Wednesday when direct flights resume.
Emma Coulthurst, from Travelsupermarket, said the last time package holiday prices were so low was the early 1990s.
She added: ‘For the first time, we’re seeing sevennight summer package deals being sold for £100pp – it’s simply unheard of.
‘The uncertainty over when we would be able to holiday again has meant many Brits who would normally book a summer holiday a few months before didn’t. This means tour operators and travel agents have lots of unsold holidays from the UK to the Med.’
But Rory Boland, of consumer watchdog Which?, urged caution before booking, saying: ‘It’s important to look at how the company acted at the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak before booking – how did it respond to customers requesting refunds?
Future disruption is fairly likely so you want to know if there’s a spike in the country you’re visiting or a local lockdown, you can rebook or cancel and get a refund quickly.’
Airlines are also heavily discounting flights this summer. Research by Skyscanner found return flights to Milan in August, usually costing £109, are being sold for just £18.
Return flights to Nice in September, usually costing £119, are being offered for £69.
Jack Sheldon, from Jack’s Flight Club, said: ‘Flights are around 2030 per cent cheaper than they usually are and, in some cases, 5070 per cent cheaper.
‘Flights to Corfu this summer are very cheap, as are prices to Barcelona and Prague for this time of year.’