Keir Starmer has finally been able to take an overseas holiday and is understood to be in Madeira with his family over the new year.
While he has the use of Chequers, his official country retreat, the prime minister was unable to go on a planned summer break in August after rioting broke out in a series of towns and cities.
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His wife and children left the UK last week for a post-Christmas break but Starmer initially did not join them, after the death of his younger brother, Nick, on Boxing Day.
Starmer is understood to have left the UK on Saturday to join his family and will be away for a few days. He has no public events scheduled until next week.
While prime ministerial holiday destinations are not usually confirmed, local media in Madeira have reported he is there, and it is understood this is correct. He remains in charge, rather than handing over to the deputy prime minister, Angela Rayner.
The prime minister has talked previously about his efforts to carve out time with his wife, Victoria, and their teenage children, and about the difficulties of doing this given his job.
In August, their break was called off owing to a series of violent incidents in towns and cities after the death of three young girls in a stabbing attack at a dance class in Southport. Axel Rudakubana, who was 17 at the time, was charged with their murder
and will face trial in January.
On Friday it was announced that Starmer’s brother, who was 60, had died the day before.
Starmer had spoken in the past about his protectiveness towards Nick, who developed learning disabilities after complications during his birth.
In a statement, Starmer said his younger brother was “a wonderful man” who “met all the challenges life threw at him with courage and good humour”.
