London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Boris Johnson says cheese and coffee can distract when working from home

Boris Johnson says cheese and coffee can distract when working from home

PM calls for return to offices, saying it makes staff ‘more productive, more energetic, more full of ideas’
Boris Johnson has made a renewed call for people to return to the office, saying working from home does not work and that when he tried to do so he became distracted by making coffee and eating cheese.

The prime minister said staff were “more productive, more energetic, more full of ideas” when in the workplace with colleagues.

He said: “My experience of working from home is you spend an awful lot of time making another cup of coffee and then, you know, getting up, walking very slowly to the fridge, hacking off a small piece of cheese, then walking very slowly back to your laptop and then forgetting what it was you’re doing.”

He added: “We need to get back into the habit of getting into the office. There will be lots of people who disagree with me, but I believe people are more productive, more energetic, more full of ideas, when they are surrounded by other people.”

In the latest figures released by Transport for London, usage of the London underground at the start of May was still less than 70% of levels seen in January 2020, before the Covid-19 pandemic, which forced many to work from home.

Businesses in city and town centres were hit hard by the consequent collapse in footfall, which has still not returned to pre-pandemic levels despite the government telling workers they should return to offices more than three months ago, after the peak of a Covid wave caused by the Omicron variant.

“[Returning to the office] will get our city centres moving in the weekdays and it will be good for mass transit. And a lot of businesses that have been having a tough time will benefit from that,” Johnson told the Daily Mail. He is reportedly considering a campaign to try to get over-50s to return to the workplace.

The government has continued to criticise the civil service for staff continuing to work from home. The minister for government efficiency, Jacob Rees-Mogg, told the Telegraph he suspected staff were only working three days a week.

He has previously walked around government departments leaving notes on empty desks, saying: “Sorry you were out when I visited. I look forward to seeing you in the office very soon. With every good wish, Rt Hon Jacob Rees-Mogg MP.”

Rees-Mogg said staff were working from home on Mondays and Fridays because “they think that the working week is shorter than it really is”.

“One can’t help but be suspicious about the desire to work from home on Monday and Fridays,” he said, adding that he thought staff were working from home when sporting events were taking place or the weather was nicer.

Johnson has also criticised the civil service for what he claimed was a “post-Covid mañana culture”. Ministers have publicly blamed large-scale home working for the backlogs at the Passport Agency and the DVLA, and the Telegraph reported this month that in one government department only 30% of staff on average were at their desks on any given day.

It was reported this week that the prime minister had ordered 91,000 jobs to be cut in a cost-saving exercise, with unions warning they could ballot for strike action over the plans.

Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union representatives will meet government officials early next week.

Mark Serwotka, the general secretary of the union, which represents about 180,000 public sector workers, said: “Our members are in a state of shock. That the first they heard of these cuts was when it was announced in the media tells you all you need to know about what the government thinks of civil servants.

“Our national conference in 10 days will debate taking coordinated strike action. If our members weren’t angry before, they are now, and rightly so.”

He added: “We shall fight for every job in the civil service. Not just on behalf of our members, but on behalf of every member of the public who relies on the services they provide.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×