So it seems to me there is ‘Leave/Remain’ angle to the ‘get back to the office’ rigmarole - albeit unintentional and unconscious.

Who works in offices? White collar staff.

What side did they back in EURef? Remain, very strongly.

And as a result... /1

They are very often highly distrustful of the government, even before the COVID debacle.

Tory brand is associated with cheating, lying and incompetence as a result of way Ref and aftermath conducted.

Is it then any wonder that in the teeth of a viral pandemic... /2

In which same Tory party has been found similarly wanting on public health, it is proving much harder to get Brit white collar workers to go back to office than it is in FRA or DE.

Appeals to patriotic duty etc are going to fall on deaf ears. /3

Whether they come from right wing journalists like @MrHarryCole or right on academics like @HelenHet20 (who wrote remarkable piece this week about how we must all go back to office to save landlords).

This is unintended consequence of... /4

Alienation & disenfranchisement of large chunk of middle class from national conversation.

These folk wont return to office to save Johnson’s political skin or Tice’s property portfolio.

Indeed such types exhorting them to do so make them even less inclined to. /ends