Britain’s new PM has broken the record for the fastest ever holiday after getting the top job, although the exact location of his trip abroad remains a mystery
Just fifteen days after taking office, Britain’s latest Prime Minister is off. Andy Burnham’s decision to take a break just weeks into his premiership has been met with a fair amount of ridicule, especially from rival party leaders.
Government sources are keeping quiet about precisely where Burnham has jetted off to, but the father of three is believed to have gone abroad for this particular holiday.
The Labour leader, who has in the past talked about his fondness for a caravan holiday as well as a trip to sunny Spain, now holds the record for the earliest a PM has taken time off since records began,
He has beaten Theresa May’s Swiss Alps jaunt back in 2016, which saw the former Tory leader take a break after 4 weeks, as per Guido Fawkes.
The decision has been slammed by the PM’s rivals, with some dubbing him ‘Bunk Off Burnham’, and accusing him of ‘running away’ from his problems.
Reform chairman Lee Anderson blasted the move, saying in a social media video post: “Two weeks into the job and Andy Burnham has already had enough. He’s bunked off for a jolly abroad. This isn’t a Prime Minister that’s serious about leading.”
Government officials have maintained that Burnham’s decision was the right one, and that their new boss will continue to run the show from his mystery destination.
Speaking to Sky News, Justice Secretary Alex Norris argued: “The prime minister is having a few days away with his family.
“He will be in constant contact with his office. I mean, I might gently say that I’ve spoken to him virtually every day since I joined the cabinet, and I suspect that won’t change.”
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch avoided directly criticising Burnham for the early holiday, and instead repeated claims that he should have recalled Parliament after becoming the new Prime Minister.
She said: “Andy Burnham was running away from Parliament – he can’t run away forever, I’m not going to be giving him a holiday when we come back in September.”
The UK Parliament is currently in recess, with MPs set to return to the Commons on Tuesday, 1 September.