Is it true Jeremy Hunt wants us back in the office as he's a commercial landlord in Central London?

[ssd]

Is this correct?

I think this government are a bunch of complete tossers, but even I don't believe for a second that the only, or even the main reason why ministers are trying to get people back into the office is because they are commercial landlords.

@Neolara, why not? Do you believe they aren't that self serving?

No, they don’t want pret and the like to go busy.

Bust not busy.
They want the shops busy.

I don't work in central London and my boss wants me back, so no JH has nothing to do with it.

There are enough private London companies about that want to survive and now release they can save money not running a office.

I honestly cant see any modern private company caring beyound their own bottom line. So what if JH owns office space? No company will put him before their own interests surely?

It's like Richard Branson moaning about his lost profits. At the end of the day there wasnt much sympathy for that greedy pratt as he has fingers in other pies and surely still has his pot of cash from.sueing the NHS.

Most of them have some interest. Also they are driven by Tory donors, who will have some commercial interests.

Most commercial property in London is owned by institutional investors (banks, pension funds, investment trusts and funds, as well as by large companies, not by private individuals. You have to be very wealthy to own a large commercial property like an office building, for example the Gherkin is owned by a Brazilian billionaire. And even for very wealthy people like that it would only make up a small proportion of their portfolio as it's an illiquid asset (takes time to sell it, unlike say shares in a large publicly traded company).

Generally speaking people in positions of power are able to design rules such that the status quo is maintained
Of course they're all self-serving.... power corrupts

Couldn't possibly comment but I shall.
I've been spending the summer months in another country that we must quarantine when returning from.

Our neigbour is a government advisor who has frequently been visiting his second home, he with agreement from his 'colleagues' that he should be exempt from an expectation to return to his desk at Conservative HQ.
He also tells me that he needs the break because he's spent months pouring over scientific papers and deciding what needs to be disregarded to fulfil party policies.
Nice bloke (not).
He also helped spearhead the Brexit campaign but fortunately can continue to enjoy all the benefits of a second home while preaching policy to everyone else.
Obviously he's not Cummings but not terribly far from it.
I was never a supporter of this government but sitting here listening his pontification has galvanised my opinions quite firmly.
That is all!!!

Anyway, if you really want to know, why not just check the Parliament members register of interests?

Snakes🐍
all of them:(

Here you go:
publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmregmem/200901/hunt_jeremy.htm

I saw a brilliant tweet the other day about how the environment is doing so much better because of less commuting and planes, people having a better work life balance and less stress managing “having it all”, moving and living in housing they can afford.

But the tories are saying get back to work to buy your £12 pret lunch.

Whilst I really don’t want the economy to suffer and I don’t want people to lose their jobs. I’m also Aware that we are at a climate tipping point and this is a good opportunity to change it. Other businesses would spring up through new needs and ultimately we are all fucked if we continue down this path

It's because the sandwich shops are going bust

It might not be that MPs own shares in property companies but you can bet your bottom dollar that people with significant property interests in the City are likely to have influence on the Conservative Party.

But the tories are saying get back to work to buy your £12 pret lunch.

If I returned to my office, it would make no difference to the economy. I get there under my own steam and take a packed lunch each day. I don’t go shopping in my lunch break because I rarely get one (too busy). Most of my shopping was done online pre-COVID. The only difference is that parcels come to my home address now, not my work address. I wouldn’t buy new work clothes this winter anyway because DH and I were trying to build a savings cushion to weather the imminent post-Brexit downturn. The pandemic made us tighten our belts sooner and has hastened the recession, that’s all. The government will not persuade us to spend a penny more than we have to when they are about to drive our economy off a cliff. Bloody vandals!

It might not be that MPs own shares in property companies but you can bet your bottom dollar that people with significant property interests in the City are likely to have influence on the Conservative Party.

This.

I get very nervous when people say go back to school/work whatever because it's important for the economy.

Why aren't they saying, do it because it's safe?

Because it's not?

Yes he probably does.

Property has historically been seen as a safe reasonably yielding investment. Most adults in the U.K. with a pension whether they realise it or not have an interest in commercial property.

If I returned to my office, it would make no difference to the economy

I won't either because lockdown has changed me. Where I had been in a mindless rush, spending money on coffee/lunch/meals out I no longer wish to do this. I'm saving money, it's better for my health and I don't feel I'm at all likely to return to my old ways. I wonder how many other people feel this way, whether there will be the same demand even if people return.

Returning once a week, working on a rota sounds perfect. As long as offices can get social distancing measures right (and I know it's not easy) then I don't really see the issue. Having said that, I think it needs to be on a voluntary basis and not mandatory.

Is it true that Jeremy Corbyn eats babies?

I read it on social media so it must be!?

Much more satisfying to start read with the assertion in the title, rather than check the published register!

Yes, he is a part owner of one office block.

No, I doubt that'll be the reason the government as a whole wants to try to restore some footfall to the businesses which supply office workers

Why would it matter what Jeremy Hunt thinks? He's a back bench MP, not a member of the cabinet.