Prime Minister Andy Burnham has been condemned for taking a holiday after less than three weeks in charge of the country. He took office on July 20 but will be taking a break from his day-to-day duties to spend time with his family.
Who is in charge while Burnham is away?
The most senior member of the Government at work now appears to be Louise Haigh, the Cabinet Office Minister, who is First Secretary of State in Mr Burnham's Cabinet, effectively making her Mr Burnham's deputy.
Burnham's official spokesman said: "The government continues to operate as normal with the prime minister remaining in contact with officials, holding meetings and receiving regular updates on government business."
Downing Street refused to say where the prime minister was travelling for his family holiday. He will be accompanied by his close protection officers.
Reform UK chairman criticises the move
Lee Anderson, the chairman of Reform UK, has criticised the move, saying Mr Burnham is "not serious" about his new role. He said: "Two weeks into the job and Andy Burnham has already had enough. After dropping a number of unfunded commitments and overseeing over 2,000 illegal migrants breaking into our country he’s bunked off for a jolly abroad. This isn't a prime minister that's serious about leading."
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Comparison with previous PMs
In contrast, former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer did not take his first break until nearly six months into his premiership, after his planned summer holiday in August was cancelled following the Southport attack, which triggered violent unrest across the UK.
In 2023, Rishi Sunak, Sir Keir's predecessor, took his first family holiday in four years after the death of Queen Elizabeth II had cut short his first attempt in September 2022. His previous attempt to take a foreign holiday, to a Spanish island in September 2022, lasted just 15 hours before he returned to Westminster following news of Queen Elizabeth II's death.
