Civil servants have spent more than £10,000 a month on taxpayer-funded away days since Labour came to power, according to an analysis by The i Paper. In the first three months of the new government, over £33,000 was spent on 77 away days attended by senior civil servants across 19 cities and nine departments.
The activities included a cybersecurity escape room, described in a Department for Education blog as a way to look at cybersecurity in a “different and more interactive way.” One senior Home Office official attended four away days in two months at a cost of £1,817 in travel and accommodation, while a Department for Work and Pensions official incurred over £1,000 for a two-day event in September.
The expenses come as Labour pursues cost-cutting measures, including a planned reduction of around 10,000 civil service roles. In opposition, Labour criticised such away days as a waste of taxpayer money. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has set up a “Doge Unit” modelled on Donald Trump’s efficiency initiative, reportedly planning to ban away days.
Tory MP Joe Robertson described the 77 away days in three months as “excessive” and argued that disappearing to escape rooms is not helpful when the government is balancing the books. However, Amanda Arrowsmith from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development said away days can build team cohesion and trust, and help clarify roles.
A Government spokesperson stated: “We are committed to tackling wasteful spending head-on so that taxpayer money is only spent on delivering for the public. This includes freezing 20,000 Government credit cards and cutting departmental administration costs by 15 per cent.”
