Labour’s latest assault on Whitehall’s use of presidency bank cards has turned up an attention-grabbing little buy by the Ministry of Justice. Final January, £1,392 was spent on a programme entitled “Headspace for Work”, a supplier of downloadable meditations to assist workers address the pressures of workplace life.
The Headspace web site says the purpose is to assist workers cope with stress, explaining that “even on one of the best days, stress can forestall us from being totally targeted and doing our greatest work. And an excessive amount of of it might probably result in burnout, disengagement, extra sick days, and strained relationships within the office.”
Shrewd New Statesman readers will observe that this specific division is headed by none apart from the alleged tomato-flinger-in-chief, Dominic Raab, who’s going through at the very least eight formal complaints of bullying and dangerous behaviour from 24 civil servants over a number of years (which he denies).
The Guardian revealed that senior civil servants working on the Ministry of Justice had been provided “respite or a route out” of the division when Raab was reappointed as secretary of state final November, with some reportedly having to take sick go away on account of his “abrasive” behaviour.
If the allegations in opposition to the Deputy Prime Minister are true, the meditation app might grow to be one of many extra justifiable purchases that has been uncovered up to now.
[See also: Dominic Raab’s defenders are wrong – being “tough” doesn’t work]