Is he or isn’t he? Number 10 refuses to confirm if Boris Johnson is on a West Country holiday
Downing Street has refused to confirm whether Boris Johnson is a on a three-day holiday, after the Prime Minister travelled to the West Country on Sunday night.
Johnson’s spokesman said the Prime Minister would be away from Number 10 in the West Country until Thursday, but insisted that he would still be working during this period.
The spokesman would not answer a series of questions from journalists today about whether his family was on the trip or if it was an official holiday.
The Prime Minister was forced to cut short his holiday to Somerset earlier this month as the Afghanistan crisis escalated.
He was on holiday for just one day, before he recalled parliament for 18 August to allow MPs to debate the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan.
It is normal practice for Number 10 to outline the dates of official holidays for sitting Prime Ministers.
When questioned whether it was appropriate for the Prime Minister to be on holiday as the last British evacuations took place, Boris Johnson’s spokesman said: “The Prime Minister is continuing to work, he will return to number 10 on Thursday.
“He’s away in the west of England, I’m not going to say anything more than that.
“The PM has throughout and continues to lead the overall government response to the situation in Afghanistan.”
The US completed its withdrawal from Afghanistan this morning, leaving hundreds of Americans behind as the Taliban claimed victory in the 20-year war.
The UK also completed its withdrawal, with foreign secretary Dominic Raab announcing there were hundreds of British nationals left in the country.
“We lament the fact anyone left behind,” he told Sky News.
“It is now at a very low level – low hundreds.
“Most are difficult cases where not clear around eligibilty because they are undocumented.”
A former English language teacher stranded in Afghanistan told the BBC that he regrets working with the UK government in the country.
The unnamed man said: “I regret working with the English. I regret helping people learn English.
“Why did I work for people who left me and fled and left me alone here? My background is hurting me nowadays.
“They are looking for me because I’ve got pictures in billboards advertised for classes. Also, I worked for the British Council. I worked for the UK for the past eight or nine years.”