Prime Minister Andy Burnham has come under fire after heading off on a summer holiday two weeks after entering Downing Street, leaving his new First Secretary of State Louise Haigh as the most senior minister carrying out the Government's day-to-day business.
Haigh pleaded guilty in 2014 to fraud by false representation after falsely reporting to police the previous year that her work mobile phone had been stolen. Downing Street said Burnham will remain "in contact with officials, holding meetings and receiving regular updates on Government business" while away, but declined to say where he had travelled or how long he would be absent.
The timing of Burnham's holiday has prompted sharp criticism from the UK's opposition parties. Reform chairman Lee Anderson 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." His colleague Richard Tice added: "Open borders, part time Burnham. Britain is broken. Britain is being invaded. Yet Burnham disappears."
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said Burnham was "running away" from Parliament. "I'm not going to criticize Andy Burnham for [taking a break]," she said. "It's children's school holidays, my children are on a holiday... but he is not coming to Parliament after becoming Prime Minister," she said. "He should have done that and allowed himself to face questions from MPs. That's what we're elected to do. We are the elected representatives of the people. 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."
Downing Street insisted the Government would continue to function normally throughout the Prime Minister's absence and stressed Burnham would remain in charge despite being away from Westminster.
