Jacob Rees-Mogg civil servants

Cabinet minister accused of 'crass' behaviour in his campaign to get staff back in the office.

There is some evidence that working from home has caused problems for the functioning of government during the pandemic. The Conservative MP is the minister of state for Brexit opportunities and government efficiency, a new role created for him. I look forward to seeing you in the office very soon.

Cabinet Office minister branded 'a bully' and 'patronising' after latest attack on staff not in the office.

Start your Independent Premium subscription today. The notes read: “Sorry you were out when I visited. That act was described as “the physical embodiment of arrogance, entitlement and contempt for parliament” – and the starkest example of a minister “lying in parliament”.

Jacob Rees-Mogg, the Government Efficiency Minister said that mandarins still working from home and not Whitehall could have their London-weighted pay and ...

As the Minister responsible for Government property, it is my job to ensure the Government estate is run efficiently and commercially. The British people rightly have high expectations of the State. We need to reform Government with a smaller, high-performing and correctly incentivised Civil Service, where talented officials thrive. In the Cabinet Office itself, the disparity is stark: some teams boast an attendance rate of 180 per cent of staff compared to desks, while others are at 6 per cent. This is a bad deal for taxpayers as expensive property which could be given up, much of it leasehold, lies empty; and a London weighting is paid to people who are not working in London and are claiming they do not need to be in London. It would be naive to suggest there are no abuses from widespread home working in the public sector. With a pressing deadline, or – as is often the way in Government – an all-enveloping emergency, the inability to speak to people face to face urgently is terrible. The inability for backbench MPs to speak to ministers, whether in the tea room, a voting lobby, or just along the corridor, is mirrored in Government departments. It is intended to be part of the system. During the meeting, the Minister was told that the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) – the Government department which investigates and prosecutes complex corruption cases – was within days of being ‘homeless’, because the lease on its offices in the Canadian High Commission had expired. While the private sector seems to have come to a reasonable equilibrium on home working, parts of the public sector seem to act as if they are still in lockdown. When the national lockdown was announced in March 2020, my immediate challenge was to find a way of keeping Parliament running, come what may. The cleaners are a reminder that some people worked exceptionally hard during the pandemic, many in the office but also at home.

The Tory minister for “government efficiency” and “Brexit opportunities” was visited Whitehall offices yesterday, and left leaflets for any civil servant ...

Confirming the notes were real, his spokesperson told the Mirror: “Office was completely empty. Shadow Employment Rights Minister Justin Madders tweeted: “The Minister for “Government efficiency” thinks it’s an efficient use of his time to do this - someone introduce him to email and zoom please” The Tory minister for “government efficiency” and “ Brexit opportunities” was visited Whitehall offices yesterday, and left leaflets for any civil servant who wasn’t physically sitting at their desk.

The Minister of State for Brexit Opportunities and Government Efficiency – Jacob Rees-Mogg – has put himself at risk of anger from numerous civil servants ...

Chris Bryant, the Labour MP for Rhondda, wrote on Twitter: “What a nasty patronising man he is.” That comment drew its own slew of responses, both in favour and against. Writing to members of the Cabinet earlier in the week, Mr Rees-Mogg emphasised his belief in the benefits of face-to-face collaborative working and how that that would help the economy recover more quickly. It has led to him standing accused of being labelled a “nasty patronising man” in his quest to get workers back to the office following two years of carrying out duties from their houses.

SOMERSET MP Jacob Rees-Mogg has caused uproar after he left a note to civil servants implying they should be back working in their office.

Civil servants have been told to return to their offices to ensure government buildings are at full capacity. He has bene vocal about the need for all civil servants to ditch working from home now that the worst of the pandemic is over. Jacob Rees-Mogg's note to civil servants absent from office

Mr Rees-Mogg has been on a drive to end home working and says civil servants shunning offices are 'a cost to the taxpayer' – but the latest move has left union ...

As the minister responsible for Government property, it is my job to ensure the Government estate is run efficiently and commercially. I look forward to seeing you in the office very soon.’ In a statement, he accused Mr Rees-Mogg of ‘virtue signalling’ and waging a ‘harmful culture war’ on the civil service. Mr Rees-Mogg left the note in a Cabinet Office area following a tip-off from a minister that the space that can fit ‘dozens’ of staff has been left ‘completely empty’. Mr Rees-Mogg has been on a drive to end home working and says civil servants shunning offices are ‘a cost to the taxpayer’ – but the latest move has left union leaders unamused. Jacob Rees-Mogg has been criticised for waging a ‘culture war’ through ‘crass’ attempts to get civil servants back to the office.