BoE governor calls on people to return to the office
The Bank of England governor has said deserted town and city centres will hold back economic recovery.
Boris Johnson is preparing to tell the nation on Friday that it is time to return to the office after Andrew Bailey said people’s “fear” of commuting was “holding back the recovery”.
The Prime Minister is expected to set out a “road map” for the next few months at a Downing Street briefing on Friday. The Telegraph reported he will change the government’s official guidance, which still says “people who can work from home should continue to do so”.
However Johnson will have to persuade chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty and the chief scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, that it is safe to change the advice.
Governor Bailey spoke to a group of Conservative MPs on Wednesday according to the Telegraph and said he was shocked by how deserted cities were.
He told the 1922 Committee of backbenchers that employees needed to return to offices to support the cafes, restaurants, bars and shops that are reliant on their trade.
Bailey said he had been driving to his office and was shocked at how empty the capital felt. He added only around 80 to 100 staff are working from the Bank each day out of thousands who work there.
He reportedly set out a three-point plan for saving city centre economies, urging ministers to restore confidence in using public transport. He warned that if the government did not follow his advice the UK will be “in a recession for a long time”.
One Tory MP told the Telegraph: “One, trying to get people to overcome their caution and trying to get more people back on public transport. Two, unlocking all the restrictions as quickly as possible. And three, trying to boost productivity by getting people back to work.”
On Monday Network Rail reported passenger numbers were at 20 per cent of pre-coronavirus levels. Johnson is said to believe the only way of changing people’s minds will be to change the official advice. Whitty and Vallance will attend a meeting with Sage today, where a further easing of lockdown measures will be discussed.