Stagger the working day says Blunkett

The misery of London's twice-daily rush hour should be ended, David Blunkett has argued.

Unveiling sweeping plans that will be studied in Whitehall if Labour wins a third term, the former home secretary said in a lecture that the nine-to-five day was outdated and should be replaced by flexible working.

School openings should be staggered to end school-run traffic problems.

"The rush hour ... adds significantly to our transport bills, to greenhouse gases, to accidents, to poor health due to stress," he said. "It costs business and family dearly through lost productivity and many wasted hours in travelling."

Mr Blunkett, who is tipped for a return to the Cabinet after the election, called for more people to work from home using email and the internet, for staggered school and office times, and for the congestion charge to be used to reward commuters who avoid the rush hour.