Boris Johnson came back from his holiday after just one day
Boris Johnson came back from his holiday after just one day – and did the shopping – unlike his Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab
Boris Johnson was spotted shopping at a branch of Marks & Spencer in Central LondonEven during a routine shopping trip, the PM looked like he could not be dragged away from his work phone His staycation holiday in Somerset was drastically cut short to just one day The image comes as Dominic Raab faces mounting calls to resign over the Afghanistan crisisForeign Secretary ‘refused to cut his holiday in the Mediterranean short to handle withdrawal’
Even during a routine shopping trip, Boris Johnson looked like he could not be dragged away from his work phone.
The Prime Minister was spotted shopping at a branch of Marks & Spencer in Central London, presumably stocking up on essentials after his holiday in Somerset was drastically cut short to just one day.
The image comes as Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab faces mounting calls to resign after he allegedly refused to cut his holiday in the Mediterranean short to handle the Afghanistan crisis – and even delayed his homecoming by delays.
The Tory leader looked deep in thought as he checked his mobile while wandering around the food aisles on Friday evening. Despite the disappointing August temperatures, adverts on the side of the fridges implored shoppers to ‘bring on the bbq’ and tried to lure them with offers of three items for just £10.
The Prime Minister was spotted shopping at a branch of Marks & Spencer in Central London
The Tory leader looked deep in thought as he checked his mobile while wandering around the food aisles on Friday evening
He was presumably stocking up on essentials after his holiday in Somerset was drastically cut short to just one day
The British Ambassador to Kabul was ordered to stay in Afghanistan to process thousands of applications from British nationals while under-fire Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab was still on holiday in the Mediterranean, according to reports
Although Mr Johnson was seen exiting the store with a bag full of goods, it is not known if he was tempted by any burgers or bangers.
The Prime Minister has been on a health kick since contracting Covid last year and has shed nearly 2st through a combination of diet and exercise. He is said to have cut out late-night cheese and last week it emerged he has given up drinking in solidarity with wife Carrie, who is expecting their second child at the end of the year.
The Foreign Secretary is accused of refusing an order by Downing Street on Friday, August 13 to return to London immediately as the situation in Kabul deteriorated and had instead delayed his homecoming until the early hours of Monday morning.
The Cabinet Minister has faced a torrent of criticism for staying on holiday as Kabul fell into the extremists’ hands, and for omitting to call the Afghan foreign minister to seek help for translators stranded in the country. The claim is strongly denied by friends of Mr Raab, who insist that he was assured by Boris Johnson that he could stay with his family until the end of the weekend.
The saga has led to sniping at Mr Raab from within his own party and calls from Labour for him to resign, although Mr Johnson has said that he ‘absolutely’ has full confidence in his Foreign Secretary. It has, however, undoubtedly strained relations between No10 and the FCO.
A source told the Mail on Sunday: ‘There is no doubt that Raab was told to come back on that Friday. There was then a significant amount of surprise when he appeared on the Cobra on the Sunday down the line from Crete. He must have nobbled Boris and asked for permission to finish his holiday’.
Last night, Mr Raab told the Mail on Sunday that he had enjoyed a ‘wave of support’, and denied that there was pressure from within his party to resign.
Mr Raab said: ‘I’ve not heard any of my Conservative colleagues call for me to resign, but I have had a wave of support. There is no doubt that, like all countries, there is a measure of surprise at the rapidity of the Taliban takeover.
‘But as the Foreign Secretary travelling around the world, whether I am on leave or I’m travelling for work purposes, I am always set up to be able to grip things’.
A close ally of Mr Raab insisted that No10 had not ‘ordered’ him to return on the Friday.
The ally said: ‘The suggestion was that he should make plans to come back. They said that if things get worse then he needed to be ready to come back at a moment’s notice.
‘He then talked it through with the PM and it was agreed that he would came back on Sunday’.
The ally strongly denied reports that Mr Raab had spent most of last Sunday on the beach: ‘That is just not true. He based his family on the beach in a gazebo precisely so that he could go back and work at the hotel, while checking in on them every now and again’.
Afghanistan’s Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul has been the focal point for thousands trying to flee the Taliban, who seized power after sweeping into the capital a week ago following their astonishing lightning advance across the Middle Eastern country.
Hundreds of Afghans desperately trying to flee the Taliban are pictured outside Kabul airport
An evacuee holds up a peace sign after being manifested for a flight at Hamid Karzai International Airport
A U.S. Navy Corpsman with Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force – Crisis Response – Central Command, hands out water to children during an evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport