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Boris Johnson holiday: Tory MP denies prime minister has ‘thrown in the towel’ after being spotted in Greece

Watch: Boris Johnson 'hasn't thrown in the towel' amid second holiday in two weeks, Tory MP claims

A Tory MP has denied Boris Johnson has "thrown in the towel" during his final weeks as prime minister after he was spotted on his second holiday in two weeks.

Johnson - who has just three weeks left in office - has been accused of running a "zombie" government since resigning as the cost of living crisis sees the country hurtle towards a recession.

He and his wife Carrie Johnson have just returned from their honeymoon in Slovenia, where they stayed in the five-star Vila Planinka, where rooms cost up to £541 per night.

They have since been spotted buying groceries on a luxury holiday in Greece, where local news reports the couple are staying in Nea Makri, a coastal town near Athens.

Read more: Energy bills: 6 million households already in debt before October rise

Prime Minister Boris Johnson during a visit to the Airbus UK East Factory in North Wales. Picture date: Friday August 12, 2022.
Boris Johnson is currently on his second holiday in two weeks. (PA)

Questioned on whether the PM has "thrown in the towel", Brandon Lewis branded insisted Johnson is still working while abroad.

"You know as well as I do that as politicians particularly in a role as prime minister and particularly as a secretary of state I've seen this, even when you are not in the office in Downing Street you are working, " he told LBC.

"From memory, and this is only off the top of my head so someone may prove me slightly wrong here, but this is probably his second two-week holiday in the last year or so, certainly this year.

"While someone is secretary of state or let alone the prime minister they will still be continuing to work.

"He will still be going through red boxes and through national security issues where relevant.

"Being out of the country does not mean the prime minister stops working."

However, a spokesperson for Johnson later clarified the PM would not be going through his ministerial red box while on on holiday with his wife.

When asked why Johnson was going on holiday twice in his final few weeks in the job, the spokesperson added: "I don’t have anything for you on that."

Read more: Energy bills: Boris Johnson's 'zombie government' fails to offer new support

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Iain Dale during
Sir Keir Starmer has finally laid out Labour's proposal to help deal with the cost of living crisis. (PA)

Johnson is facing increasing criticism over his failure to act over the escalating crisis over the cost of living.

Recent analysis has shown the price cap on energy bills could soar by hundreds more than earlier forecasts had predicted.

Provisional forecasts by experts at energy consultancy Auxilione have warned the cap on energy bills could reach up to £3,687 in October - almost double the current levels.

Prices are forecast to further balloon to around £4,400 in January, and £4,700 by April.

Johnson held a meeting with Britain's energy firms on Thursday, but despite crunch talks could not come up with any new measures to offset the soaring costs of energy bills.

Companies who attended included EDF, SSE, ScottishPower and British Gas owners Centrica.

Meanwhile the Labour party has finally outlined its policy on the cost of living, with leader Sir Keir Starmer saying their £29 billion emergency plan to stop energy bills rising over the winter would be paid for in part by an extension of the windfall levy on the profits of the oil and gas companies.

Starmer said that under his party’s “fully-funded” proposals, consumers would not pay “a penny more” for their gas and electricity over the coming months, saving the average household £1,000.

However the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) questioned Labour’s explanation as to how it would fund the support package, saying some of its proposals were an “illusion”.