Jacob Rees-Mogg puts ‘deserted’ offices up for sale as civil servants work from home

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The minister for Brexit Opportunities and Government Efficiency said taxpayers should not have to “fork out for half-empty buildings”.

Mr Rees-Mogg will next week publish a Government Property Strategy aimed at realising £2billion in savings from sales and efficiencies that will consolidate staff into fewer buildings.

In June, the Cabinet Office announced a Places for Growth programme that seeks to move 22,000 roles out of the capital by 2030.

Mr Rees-Mogg said: “We have seen over the last year that expensive office space in central London has been under-utilised. Why should the taxpayer be made to fork out for half-empty buildings?”

He added: “All spending on government property needs to be justified.”

Mr Rees-Mogg called on civil servants to return to offices after Covid restrictions ended.

The former Commons leader left calling cards in “deserted” Whitehall workspaces and wrote to ministers urging them to coerce staff into a “rapid return to the office”.

The FDA union which represents senior civil servants branded the approach “crass” and “condescending”.

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