Conservative conference: Get off your Pelotons and back to work, says Oliver Dowden

Oliver Dowden was speaking at a Conservative conference fringe meeting

"People need to get off their Pelotons and back to their desks," Conservative Party Chairman Oliver Dowden has said.

The ex-culture secretary said civil servants working from home should "lead by example" by returning to the office.

A union representing civil servants said his comments were an "insult" to thousands of dedicated government workers.

Boris Johnson is expected to repeat the "get back to work" message in his Tory conference speech on Wednesday.

It comes after top civil servant Sarah Healey said she preferred working from home because she could spend more time on her Peloton exercise bicycle.

According to the Daily Mail, Ms Healey, who is the permanent secretary at Mr Dowden's former department, told a conference last month: "I have a Peloton and I can just get on my bike whenever I have a teeny bit of time.

"That has been a huge benefit to my well-being, the lack of travelling time eating into my day."

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Mr Dowden, who was moved from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport in last month's cabinet reshuffle, said: "I like my permanent secretary at DCMS enormously, Sarah Healey, but I am disagreeing with her on this one.

"I think people need to get off their Pelotons and get back to their desks."

Sales of Pelotons surged during lockdown

Speaking at Daily Telegraph fringe event at the Conservative Party conference, Mr Dowden said: "People really want the government to lead by example - they want civil servants to get back to work as well. We've got to start leading by example on that."

He said there were currently "more desks occupied" at Conservative Party headquarters than in his former department.

The government has clashed with trade unions for changing its advice to civil servants working from home and suggesting staff were being "lazy".

'Insulting'

The First Division Association, which represents senior civil servants, accused Mr Dowden of "hypocrisy" and pandering to the party faithful, with his latest comments.

"As the civil service, the broader public sector and thousands of companies in the private sector already know, what you deliver is far more important than where it's delivered from," FDA general secretary Dave Penman said.

"The pandemic has driven a quiet revolution in working practices that has seen innovation and reform from both the public and private sectors.

"Yet despite the incredible feats performed, ministers continue to want to stand in the way of progress and reform for the sake of a quick headline."

The "vast majority of staff want hybrid working", said the FDA leader, and it was key to the government's plan to move civil service jobs out of London.

"The hypocrisy of ministers - who are happy to bank the savings in office space delivered by hybrid working but decry the practice for the party faithful - is frankly insulting to the dedication, professionalism and commitment of hundreds of thousands of public servants," he added.

In a statement, the Cabinet Office said civil servants have been working hard to deliver the government's priorities "from home and the workplace" since the pandemic began.

"Like other employers, the civil service continues to follow the latest government guidance and is gradually increasing the numbers of staff in the workplace," it added.

Sales of Peloton exercise bikes - which cost £1,750 plus monthly subscriptions to online classes - surged during lockdown, although they have slowed down in recent months.