Boris Johnson is not working day-to-day while on holiday Downing Street has said, despite one of his former cabinet ministers having suggested he was working remotely.
The prime minister is on his second holiday in two weeks even though he is due to leave office at the beginning of next month.
Labour has accused Johnson of having “one big party” during his final days in No.10 amid fears about rising energy bills.
Brandon Lewis, the former Northern Ireland secretary, this morning rejected the suggestion Johnson had “thrown in the towel”.
He told LBC the prime minister was “continuing to work” from his holiday in Greece and was “going through inboxes”.
But No.10 contradicted this claim. Asked if the usual “day-to-day work” of the PM was not happening, the prime minister’s spokesperson said: “That’s correct.”
“The prime minister is on holiday this week,” the spokesperson said. “If there were urgent decisions that required the prime minister’s input he will of course be involved in that.”
No.10 said Johnson was “contactable” if any “urgent issues” needed his attention.
The government has been accused of acting like a “zombie” while waiting for Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak to take over as PM on September 6.
But Downing Street insisted “government activity continues over recent weeks” and “significant announcements” had been made including extra aid for Ukraine.
Lewis had told LBC: “Even when you are not in the office in Downing Street you are working.
“He’s probably in about his second week [of] holiday in the last year or so, certainly this year.
“So while somebody is away, whether they are secretary of state or let alone the prime minister, they will be continuing to work.
“I can assure you he will still be going through inboxes, he will still be dealing with national security issues where relevant. Being out of the country does not mean the prime minister stops working.”
It comes after Johnson and his wife Carrie were filmed shopping for groceries in Nea Makri, a coastal town near Athens.
Footage published by the Greek news website “In” showed Johnson greeting a local who was filming him as he walked around the supermarket aisles.
A Labour spokesperson said: “On the evidence of the last few months it seems to make little difference if the prime minister is in the office or on holiday as he has continually failed to meet the challenge of the Tory cost-of-living crisis.
“It’s all just one big party for Boris Johnson while the country struggles to pay their bills.”