Conservative conference: Get off your Pelotons and back to work, says Oliver Dowden

"People need to get off their Pelotons and back to their desks", Conservative Party Chairman Oliver Dowden has said.

The ex-culture secretary said civil servants working from home should "lead by example" by returning to the office.

Boris Johnson is expected to repeat the "get back to work" message in his Tory conference speech on Wednesday.

It comes after top civil servant Sarah Healey said she preferred working from home because she could spend more time on her Peloton exercise bicycle.

According to the Daily Mail, Ms Healey, who is the permanent secretary at Mr Dowden's former department, told a conference last month: "I have a Peloton and I can just get on my bike whenever I have a teeny bit of time.

"That has been a huge benefit to my well-being, the lack of travelling time eating into my day."

Mr Dowden, who was moved from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport in last month's cabinet reshuffle, said: "I like my permanent secretary at DCMS enormously, Sarah Healey, but I am disagreeing with her on this one.

"I think people need to get off their Pelotons and get back to their desks".

Speaking at Daily Telegraph fringe event at the Conservative Party conference, Mr Dowden said: "People really want the government to lead by example - they want civil servants to get back to work as well. We've got to start leading by example on that".

He said there were currently "more desks occupied" at Conservative Party headquarters than in his former department.

The government has clashed with trade unions for changing its advice to civil servants working from home and suggesting staff were being "lazy".

Sales of Peloton exercise bikes - which cost £1,750 plus monthly subscriptions to online classes - surged during lockdown, although they have slowed down in recent months.