The Government is disappointed but not surprised by the GSD’s narrowmindedness regarding the move of some Government departments to rented office space, in a deal that is a win-win for the public service and the taxpayer.

As a result of the Government’s prudent planning, the departments will move from buildings that are unfit for professional occupation into modern, fit-for-purpose office space. The Government has an obligation to its employees to provide them with safe, proper working environments.

As usual, the GSD can’t see the wood from the trees. At the centre of this are some basic facts; Government employees need safe, professional environments to work in, the public needs fit-for-purpose spaces in which to conduct their business with the Government, and the taxpayer needs this to come at an acceptable price. Refurbishing these departments’ existing buildings to an appropriate standard would incur astronomical cost to the taxpayer, whilst still requiring the rental of alternative office space whilst the extensive remedial works are undertaken and causing huge disruption and inconvenience to the public who need to access those departments. This would all come at a cost that far exceeds the Government’s plan.

The Chief Minister, Fabian Picardo, said: ‘From his usual shortsighted position, Mr Bossino has failed to see the Government’s plan in its proper context and has extracted only the numbers that he wants to see. He has also failed to see the hundreds of workers and thousands of taxpayers that these moves will benefit. As always, the GSD is demonstrably against everything the Government does and everyone who has the forward-vision to do it with us. That kind of narrowmindedness does no favours to the public service, citizens or the taxpayer. Mr Bossino and the GSD are just against everything we do. They are against everyone we do things with. They just seen to be the 'anti everything' party. That's not loyal opposition. It's opposition for the sake of opposition.’