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Brown 'in charge' over the summer | |
(about 4 hours later) | |
Gordon Brown will be in charge of the government this summer even while he is away on holiday, his spokesman says. | |
When his predecessor Tony Blair jetted off for sunnier climes, his deputy John Prescott famously took the reins. | |
But this is not the case for Mr Brown. His spokesman said: "The prime minister is the prime minister and remains in charge whether he's on holiday or not." | |
Mr Prescott was deputy prime minister for 10 years to 2007 and stood in for Mr Blair for most of those summers. | |
This year Mr Brown is rumoured to be taking his family for a bucket and spade style holiday at Southwold in Suffolk and on the Scottish coast. | |
Obviously the prime minister will be in charge of the government over the summer, as would normally be the case Prime Minister's spokesman | |
But unlike Mr Blair, the prime minister does not have a named deputy - the nearest to one is Commons leader Harriet Harman, Labour's deputy leader. | |
When asked by reporters who would be in charge of the government over the summer, Mr Brown's official spokesman said: "Obviously the prime minister will be in charge of the government over the summer, as would normally be the case... | |
"There will be senior cabinet ministers in London throughout the summer to deal with any day to day government business." | |
The news that Mr Brown will not hand over while he is on holiday came as a large number of ministerial statements were rushed out on the last day before Parliament's summer recess. | |
Liberal Democrat MP Norman Baker accused Mr Brown of attempting to "bury bad news" by publishing 10 statements on the eve of MPs heading off from Westminster. | |
'Addicted to spin' | |
In total, 30 ministerial statements were published on Tuesday - 10 of which relate to the PM, special advisers, travel and hospitality. | |
The ministerial code of conduct, which is enforced by the prime minister, says "every effort should be made to avoid leaving significant announcements to the last day before a recess". | |
Written statements usually reveal the results of consultations, make announcements and give figures for amounts of money spent or costs incurred. | Written statements usually reveal the results of consultations, make announcements and give figures for amounts of money spent or costs incurred. |
One showed Mr Brown made 47 visits across the UK between coming to office in June 2007 and March this year. | |
Mr Baker said the publication of the statements just hours before MPs set off for their 11-week summer break mean the prime minister had "violated his own ministerial code of conduct 10 times in one day". | Mr Baker said the publication of the statements just hours before MPs set off for their 11-week summer break mean the prime minister had "violated his own ministerial code of conduct 10 times in one day". |
"It seems Gordon Brown is as addicted to spin and media manipulation as Tony Blair was," he said. | "It seems Gordon Brown is as addicted to spin and media manipulation as Tony Blair was," he said. |
"This is a clear attempt to buy bad news by releasing it all together just as MPs are breaking up for the summer recess." | "This is a clear attempt to buy bad news by releasing it all together just as MPs are breaking up for the summer recess." |