Reform UK mayoral candidate for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough to ban four-day working weeks and home working at councils if elected

Reform UK's Cambridgeshire and Peterborough mayoral candidate has announced he will not allow four-day working weeks and home working at councils if elected on May 1.

The four-day working week is currently being trialled at South Cambridgeshire District Council, with a consultation under way before potential further rollout. Mayoral candidate Ryan Coogan says a study at the council found that one in six workers had taken on other paid work during their bonus day off.

Mr Coogan said: "We need people back in the office to achieve the best results for the residents of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. Working from home leads to loneliness, distraction, limited access to resources and reduced collaborative creativity.

"When South Cambridgeshire District Council boasted they could get '100% of work done, in about 80% of contracted hours', anyone with an ounce of respect for taxpayers’ money would consider that an efficiency saving. Instead, they have decided staff should get the day off as a reward while driving up council tax charges for hard-working residents.

"I have a business background and have employed hundreds of Cambridgeshire residents over my years. Growing businesses and achieving results is what I do. This is why I will look to get maximum value for residents as it isn't free money. Hard-working residents are being taken for a ride by poor leadership at our councils.

"Staff will be given the choice come May 2 if I am elected - come back to work or find a new job elsewhere.”