Geoffrey Cox MP's trip to British Virgin Islands sets a precedent we would all enjoy – Scotsman comment

Daily grind starting to get you down? Do not fret.

Geoffrey Cox MP is trailblazing a new way of 'remote' working (Picture: Leon Neal/Getty Images)

For it seems the UK government is hatching a most wonderful scheme to enable us to head off to sunnier climes to recharge our batteries and, potentially, bank balances.

At least, that’s a possible implication of Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab’s defence of Geoffrey Cox MP’s trip to the British Virgin Islands to advise members of its government on a corruption inquiry ordered by the UK government (coincidentally by Raab).

While he was in the tropical paradise/tax haven, Cox apparently continued to work for his other ‘employers’, the people of Torridge and West Devon. One can only marvel at his dedication in rising at 5am to deal with any constituents seeking his aid at 9am UK time, as he presumably would have done, rather than putting them off until the afternoon or some time later.

It was certainly worth it for Cox. He has declared earning £156,916.08 for 140 hours’ legal work over the period he is understood to have been in the islands.

Raab said this was “legitimate… as long as it's properly declared”. So if you feel in the need of a break, just declare to the boss that you are off for a bit, and won’t be in the office or even Zooming in from your spare bedroom, but from Ibiza or some other similar location.

It’s not clear exactly how long a break this new working-holiday policy will provide, partly because Cox has not yet commented. But it might be quite a long time as callers at his constituency home yesterday were reportedly told that the MP is… well, er... abroad.

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