Chilled-out Boris Johnson will spend stretches of his final fortnight working from his grace and favour mansion Chequers, it’s been confirmed.
Reports emerged last week that the Prime Minister had already moved out of the Downing Street flat, with two huge moving vans spotted while he holidayed in Greece.
Now he has returned from his break – and No10 confirmed he will be “working from Downing Street and Chequers this week”.
He held a call on global security yesterday with Joe Biden and other world leaders from the Grade I listed manor in Buckinghamshire.
He was in No10 and on a visit today, and meeting the chief executive of scientific agency ARIA.
A No10 spokeswoman refused to say how much time he will spend in Chequers, compared to in Downing Street.
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REUTERS)
“I would only ever get into his working arrangements which would be working from Downing Street and Chequers,” she said.
No10 said he would try to make his legacy helping Ukraine and supporting people through the worst cost of living crisis in decades.
Asked if war in Europe and sky-high bills were his legacy, No10 added he also got ” Brexit done” and led the UK through Covid.
Despite vowing to carry on with the job before he is ousted on September 5, Mr Johnson has been on two breaks in a fortnight.
Asked if it was appropriate to spend half his final month away, a spokeswoman replied: “I’m not going to be getting into private matters.”
The PM returned from a holiday in Greece at the weekend – his second break in a fortnight as his time heading the government draws to a close.
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PA)
Last week a well-placed source said he will spend “a few nights at most” sleeping in his flat above 11 Downing Street before leaving.
It emerged the ousted PM can take lavish furnishings with him from the Downing Street flat – including his gold wallpaper.
The Prime Minister’s spokesman confirmed anything the PM paid for himself in a luxury refurbishment in 2020 could be taken with him.
It’s understood that even includes the £840-a-roll wallpaper sold by designer Lulu Lytle – though it was not immediately clear if he could scrape it off in one piece.
Only things that were paid for by a £28,647 Cabinet Office grant must stay. They included painting and sanding of floorboards.
The other £112,000 in the makeover was originally paid for by a Tory donor but reimbursed by Boris Johnson after a furore.
Revamping the flat above 11 Downing Street – used by PMs as it’s nicer than the two-bed residence above No10 – was said to include a £9,800 Baby Bear sofa and a £3,000 Lily Drum table.
Two big removal trucks – one of which was from the same firm as when the PM moved in – were spotted parked nose-to-tail outside Downing Street.
That sparked speculation about where the pricey furniture would go, because Boris and Carrie Johnson only put their £1.6m south London townhouse up for sale a few days ago.
Reports suggest they are still seeking a £3m home in leafy Dulwich.