Kemi Badenoch said she will not criticise the new Prime Minister for taking a holiday just two weeks into his premiership, while he was branded “part time Burnham” by Reform UK politicians.
Andy Burnham, who entered Number 10 on July 20, will be taking a break from his day-to-day duties in Westminster to spend time with his family.
He will remain in direct contact with officials and continue holding meetings during the holiday abroad.
Allies insisted the Government will continue functioning normally during his absence from Downing Street.
Conservative leader Mrs Badenoch said “everybody should be taking a break” while children are off school.
“I’m not going to criticise a politician for taking a holiday,” she said.
“I’m not going to criticise Andy Burnham for that.
“It’s children’s school holidays, my children are on a holiday, I hope that everybody should be taking a break.
“What I will criticise Andy Burnham for is not coming to Parliament after becoming Prime Minister.
“He should have done that and allowed himself to face questions from MPs. That’s what we’re elected to do. We are the elected representatives of the people.
“Andy Burnham was running away from Parliament. He can’t run away forever.
“I’m not going to be giving him a holiday when we come back in September.”
But Reform politicians took a more critical stance of Mr Burnham’s absence.
The party’s leader Richard Tice wrote on X: “Open borders part time Burnham.
“Britain is broken. Britain is being invaded. Yet Burnham disappears.”
Reform UK party chairman Lee Anderson also hit out at Mr Burnham claiming he “isn’t a Prime Minister that’s serious about leading”.
“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,” Mr Anderson said.
Prime ministers often taken breaks during the summer recess when Parliament is not sitting.
But this is believed to be the earliest a sitting PM has jetted off on holiday after taking office in modern times.
His predecessor Sir Keir Starmer was leading the country for six months before jetting off to Madeira at the end of December 2024, while Rishi Sunak waited nine months before taking a holiday to California.
The new Prime Minister’s holiday comes after his campaign to win the Makerfield by-election in June led to a rapid rise to replacing Sir Keir in Downing Street.
Mr Burnham, who is married with three children, has made a blizzard of announcements during his first fortnight as leader.
He promised to remove VAT from electricity bills, pledged to end rough sleeping, announced the reinstatement of a £2 cap on bus fares in England, began cross-party talks on social care and vowed to be “relentless” in tackling small boat crossings.
The Prime Minister also announced a cut in business rates for pubs, established No 10 North while promising extra powers to regional mayors and found time to suggest Gianni Infantino was the wrong man to lead international football’s ruling body Fifa.
Officials would not comment on where the Prime Minister was holidaying, although it is understood to be abroad rather than within the UK.
Mr Burnham’s most recent public appearance was on Sunday in Dover, a popular port for ferry crossings to the continent, although he was using the visit to Kent to promote his Government’s efforts to tackle small boat crossings.
