A top Cabinet minister today defended Andy Burnham for taking a holiday after just two weeks as Prime Minister.
Mr Burnham, who only entered office on 20 July, is taking a break from his day-to-day duties to travel abroad with his family for a long-planned trip.
He is not expected to appear publicly this week, but Downing Street insisted he will still be working and is prepared to travel back to the UK if required.
Reform UK has accused Mr Burnham of ‘bunking off’ while even Labour insiders questioned the PM’s decision to go away.
But Alex Norris, the Justice Secretary, this morning backed Mr Burnham over his choice to take a holiday and insisted the PM would be ‘in constant contact’ with his office.
‘The Prime Minister is having a few days away with his family,’ he told Sky News. ‘You know, 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.
‘These last couple of weeks I’m really proud of the work we’ve been doing on the cost of living, on social care, on homelessness, on defence. And that work is happening at pace and will continue to do so.’
Andy Burnham, pictured with his wife Marie-France van Heel and daughter Rosie in June, is taking a holiday with his family after just two weeks as Prime Minister
Alex Norris, the Justice Secretary, backed Mr Burnham over his decision to take a holiday and insisted the PM would be ‘in constant contact’ with his office
In Mr Burnham’s absence, Mr Norris was left to field questions about the Government’s decision to still allow the killers of PC Andrew Harper to be eligible for early release from jail.
The Justice Secretary acknowledged that the decision had ‘created harm’ but said the alternative was seeing prisons cease to function.
Some 5,000 people are expected to be released early under sentencing changes, down from 6,000 after the PM exempted rapists and child sex offenders as part of the scheme to tackle overcrowding in jails.
But two of PC Harper’s killers, Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, remain eligible for early release after their 2020 convictions for manslaughter despite an outcry from the officer’s family that prompted a review of the early release plans.
PC Harper sustained fatal injuries while responding to a quad bike theft in Sulhamstead, Berkshire, in August 2019.
Until recently, both close friends and staff of Mr Burnham claimed the PM 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.
Downing Street published an official portrait of Mr Burnham on Tuesday as he took a holiday from No10
Mr Burnham, who only entered No10 on 20 July, is taking a break from his day-to-day duties to travel abroad for a long-planned trip
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
Reform UK 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 PM that’s serious about leading.’
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 Keir Starmer ‘barely went on holiday’, adding that when he did ‘he would just sit there with a bottle of rosé and talk through work over the phone. It was inspiring.’
The former PM 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 PM’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.
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