Conservatives vow to outlaw council four-day week. 22 hours ago. Ben SchofieldBBC East political correspondent. Aaron Chown/PA Wire. A Conservative government would look to pass a law banning council staff from working a four-day week for five days’ pay, according to a shadow secretary of state.. Sir James Cleverly said the practice was “an insult” and that “custodians of the public purse” had “an enhanced duty to make sure they’re delivering value for money”.. Liberal Democrat-run South Cambridgeshire District Council became the first authority to permanently adopt a four-day week in July 2025, after trialling it since 2023.. Party leader Sir Ed Davey backed the policy and said he supported “local councils deciding with their local people what is best for their community”.. Council staff in South Cambridgeshire, as well as those in bin collection and planning departments shared with Cambridge City Council, work about 85% of their contracted hours with no reduction in pay.. The authority previously said it was “suffering more than most councils from problems arising from recruitment and retention challenges”.. Aaron Chown/PA Wire. Since introducing the policy, staff turnover had fallen by 41%, from 83 “voluntary leavers” in 2022 to 49 in 2024, the council said.. The number of applications for jobs at the council increased by 123%, from an average of 4.7 per role in 2022, to 10.5 per role in the 2024-25 financial year.. The council also claimed the policy had helped to save £399,000 in agency worker fees.. An independent analysis found the authority had improved or had seen no significant performance change in 21 out of 24 areas since reducing staff hours.. In its alternative 2026-27 budget proposals for the authority, the South Cambridgeshire Conservative group said it could save money by scrapping the policy.. It claimed “stopping full-time pay for part-time work… could increase capacity and the effectiveness of current staff and allow for headcount reduction”, which would “save around £270,000”.. The group also said it would stop the purchase of two refuse collection vehicles, which “would bring a saving of £244,000”.. EMMA HOWGEGO/BBC. Sir James told BBC Breakfast there was a “long-standing Conservative principle about giving choice” but that “what we have seen, sadly, with South Cambridgeshire Council is that they have abused that choice”.. A future Conservative government would introduce a bill to prevent all public services, including councils, from offering similar shorter working weeks.. Sir James added: “We are making it clear that this is something that is completely wrong.. “There is a push from the left of centre in British politics to move to this ‘four-day week for five days’ pay’ – we think that’s wrong, and in the public sector, it’s definitely wrong.”. Gareth Fuller/PA Wire. Asked about the Conservative policy announcement, Sir Ed said it was “a shame the Conservatives are too busy criticising others and not actually getti
