Conservative MP and so-called ‘hard man of Brexit’ Steve Baker says he will be doing campaign work from Greece because the prime minister assured MPs that it would be ok to head off to the beach this week.
The Northern Ireland minister has been accused of giving up after he jetted off to Vasiliki, where temperatures hit 28C yesterday, to enjoy a few days in the sun slap bang in the middle of a general election.
Baker, who is defending a majority of just 4,214 in Wycombe, admitted that some might have a problem with him jetting away, but insisted that he has no plans to cancel his holiday plans.
Speaking to the Mirror, he said: “The Prime Minister told everyone we could go on holiday and then called a snap election. So I’ve chosen to do my campaign work in Greece.”
Asked whether voters would be angered by his decision to jet away, he said: “My experience has been that when I talk to people who are quite keen to vote for me, they say: ‘Good on you’. I’ve been campaigning for months and my wife deserves to have her husband go away for a much needed break. It’s the only holiday we’ve got planned for the summer.”
He denied it was a sign of disgruntlement or that he’d thrown in the towel. Baker stated: “It’s simply a sign when he (Mr Sunak) said to everybody when he was asked ‘you can go on holiday’, we booked a holiday.” He admitted that “one or two” people have a problem with him going away and said it is “unconventional”.
His Labour opponent, Emma Reynolds, responded: “I am staggered that Steve Baker has decided to go on holiday in the middle of the General Election campaign. He clearly doesn’t care about his constituents.
“It’s time for change in Wycombe. During this campaign I will be fighting day in, day out for every vote to deliver a better future for Wycombe.”
Related: ‘A teenage Dad’s Army!’ – Starmer cooks Sunak over National Service scheme