Why Rees-Mogg’s Dickensian view of home working will backfire on the government

Treating civil servants like factory workers will harm the government’s ability to deliver on policies says James Moore

The minister for Brexit opportunities has reheated the debate over working from home (Reuters)

Rachel Johnson is the latest to chime in on the work-from-home row, reheated by Jacob Rees-Mogg’s passive aggressive notes left on the empty desks of colleagues in his department.

“Too many people” are “on their Pelotons”, “watching Netflix” and “home working”, the prime minister’s sister fulminated on her radio show.

In doing so she echoed Rees-Mogg’s positively Dickensian view of the workplace.