Andy Burnham will this week go on a foreign holiday just two weeks after becoming Prime Minister, Downing Street has confirmed.
Mr Burnham is taking a break from his day-to-day duties for a long-planned family holiday and is not expected to appear publicly this week.
The Prime Minister will be travelling abroad but Downing Street insisted he will still be working and is prepared to travel back to the UK if required.
Until recently, both close friends and staff of Mr Burnham claimed he had cancelled plans to join his family on holiday, with this replaced by a tour of Britain to meet voters towards the end of August.
As recently as July 25, Downing Street told the Mail that Mr Burnham would not be heading off for a break after becoming Prime Minister.
But on Monday No10 confirmed he would be travelling abroad to spend time with his family, after making a blizzard of spending pledges on bus fares and energy bills that could cost up to £96billion during his first two weeks in charge.
Reform UK has criticised Mr Burnham for going on holiday so soon, with Lee Anderson saying: ‘Two weeks into the job and Andy Burnham has already had enough.’
Reform’s chairman added: ‘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.’
While Prime Minister Andy Burnham (right) is on holiday, his de-facto deputy Louise Haigh (left), the First Secretary of State and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, will be the most senior minister in Westminster
Mr Burnham is pictured with his wife Marie-France van Heel at Ashton Town FC, in Ashton in Makerfield, north-west England on June 19
And a Labour source told the Mail: ‘Talk about easy mode. A week’s holiday? Because he’s had a difficult summer? Because he had to fight a by-election?’
The source said that Sir Keir Starmer ‘barely went on holiday’, adding that when he did ‘he would just sit there with a bottle of rose and talk through work over the phone. It was inspiring’.
The former prime minister cancelled a planned holiday in August 2024 – about six weeks after entering No10 – due to the riots that erupted after three young girls were murdered in Southport. He eventually went on a family holiday in Madeira at the end of December 2024.
When Sir Keir was away, Downing Street insisted that he remained in charge, rather than handing over power to the then deputy prime minister, Angela Rayner.
While Mr Burnham is on holiday, his de-facto deputy Louise Haigh, the First Secretary of State and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, will be the most senior minister in Westminster.
It is understood that convicted fraudster Ms Haigh will be working this week as normal, however, No 10 insisted that she will not be taking day-to-day decisions in Mr Burnham’s absence.
The Prime Minister’s spokesman said: ‘The government continues to operate as normal with [the] PM remaining in contact with officials, holding meetings and receiving regular updates on government business.’
There were no further details on where Mr Burnham will go on holiday as prime ministerial holiday destinations are not usually confirmed by Downing Street.
