British Prime Minister Andy Burnham is taking a family holiday just two weeks after assuming office, The Telegraph reports.
Downing Street said Burnham would spend time with his family while remaining in regular contact with Cabinet ministers throughout his break. Officials stressed that the government would continue to operate as normal.
Burnham became prime minister on July 20, making him Britain's sixth prime minister in the past decade after succeeding Keir Starmer, who resigned amid a political crisis. Upon taking office, Burnham pledged that his premiership would be a “circuit breaker for Britain,” which would bring in the “biggest changes in the last 40 years.”
Downing Street declined to disclose how long the PM would be away or where he and his family would be spending the holiday.
However, a 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.”
Burnham's holiday comes amid a migration crisis. He has vowed to work "relentlessly" to curb illegal small-boat crossings after tens of thousands of migrants arrived in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta. Burnham said Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez had assured him that around 98% of the 50,000 people who entered Ceuta last week had already been returned to Morocco.
Since Burnham took office, more than 2,000 people have crossed the English Channel in small boats.
By Jeyhun Aghazada
