Officials relocate to the country hoping never to commute again

CIVIL servants have bought houses in Cornwall and the Cotswolds ‘gambling’ that they will never have to return to the office.

Government sources last night said a number of Whitehall officials have relocated as they expect to be able to work from home (WFH) indefinitely.

One source said they know a number of pivotal staff who are ‘living in places in Cornwall and the North of England while still claiming London wages’.

The insider said the civil servants are ‘betting that they will never, ever be forced in’ and have ‘taken a gamble’ by buying homes far from Whitehall during the pandemic.

But the source added that not having full teams in the office at the same time ‘hammers the ability to function as a group’ and affects the productivity of Government departments.

Luke Johnson, the entrepreneur and former Pizza Express chairman, said senior officials have ‘other motivations’ for keeping the culture of working from home in Whitehall.

‘The medium and senior management in the public sector probably live in nice houses with gardens,’ he said. ‘They are saving on commuting fares. As far as they’re concerned if they have to go back, it’s like a pay cut.’

Another Government source said civil servants relocating to the Cotswolds is ‘lovely for them, not as good for their junior staff who get paid hardly anything’.

Boris Johnson last week urged Government departments to set an example for the private sector and return to ‘normal’ office patterns after Covid WFH guidance was lifted.

The Prime Minister said: ‘Across Whitehall, we need to show a lead and make sure that we get back to work, everybody gets back to work.’

Plan B ‘work from home’ guidance was lifted last week after official data showed Covid infections falling in most parts of the UK and in most age groups.