London: British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will be taking his first proper family holiday in almost four years when he flies out Thursday with wife Akshata Murty and their two daughters, Downing Street said Monday.
While the holiday destination of the British Indian first family remains undisclosed due to security reasons, Downing Street confirmed that Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden will be in charge of day-to-day government business over the course of the week-long holiday.
Sunak, 43, had been on a family holiday in Spain for only a few hours when he had to fly back to the UK following the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September last year.
“The PM will be taking some time off with his family – the first time he will do this since he became Chief Secretary to the Treasury almost four years ago. He’ll be off from Thursday for just over a week,” Sunak’s press secretary told reporters.
Prime Minister Sunak, his wife Akshata Murty, and their daughters Krishna and Anoushka will be spending just over a week abroad from Thursday.
Sunak was appointed Chief Secretary to the Treasury in July 2019 before being elevated to Chancellor of the Exchequer by then prime minister Boris Johnson in February 2020. Soon after, he found himself leading the UK’s response to the economic fallout of the COVID pandemic.
In July 2022, he resigned as Chancellor from Johnson’s Cabinet amid the partygate scandal which led to a protracted Conservative Party leadership election that he lost to predecessor Liz Truss.
However, before a chance to make any holiday plans, he was called upon by the governing Tories to take over the reins at 10 Downing Street on Diwali day in October last year after Truss’ short-lived premiership collapsed within weeks of a disastrous mini-budget.
Sunak’s visit to India is expected in September for the G20 Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi. “There’s the G20 in New Delhi, and I absolutely can’t wait to be there; not just for the mithai but also the work that we will get done too,” he said in an address during a UK-India Week reception at Downing Street last month.
Meanwhile, the Opposition Labour Party said its leader, Sir Keir Starmer, is currently on holiday with his wife and two children somewhere in the UK.
With Parliament on a long recess, the month of August is Britain’s customary summer holiday period when many politicians take time off before Commons resumes in early September and is followed up by a busy annual party conferences season.
PTI