What do politicians do during the summer?
Andy Burnham joins a list of Prime Ministers to have been scrutinised for going on holiday
Andy Burnham has taken a summer holiday two weeks into his term as Prime Minister, but while the timing is unusual, most in No 10 before him have opted for a break in August.
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The Prime Minister has left the UK for his holiday this week, having only entered No 10 on July 20 and faced criticism from Reform for the timing of his getaway.
Mr Burnham will remain in direct contact with officials and continue holding meetings during his break, and allies insist the government will continue functioning normally during his absence.
It is understood that Louise Haigh will deputise for him in the event of a crisis, although precedent suggests that the PM will come home in such a scenario.
LBC's Ali Miraj said: "His allies point out, quite reasonably, that prime ministers are never truly off duty and that government business continues wherever they are in the world.
"You couldn't imagine Gordon Brown or Tony Blair taking a break in their first hundred days. I know they came to office at a different time of year, but come on."
Both Mr Blair and Mr Brown did take holidays, and being criticised for taking a break is not new for a PM.
But what are politicians expected to do during the summer?
When is the Parliamentary recess?
The Parliamentary summer recess runs from July 16 to September 1, meaning that voting, bill passage, and Prime Minister's Questions will be on hiatus.
Conference season begins on September 15 and ends on October 12. There are also no Commons sessions during this period.
The Commons sits for typically 150 days per year, which is longer than the US House of Representatives and Germany's Bundestag. Australia's House of Representatives meets for only around 65 days per year.
However, these are not the only days that MPs do any work.
What do politicians do during the summer?
While there is no Parliament, MPs still complete constituency work, make visits, and hold surgeries.
Alice Lilly, leading parliamentary monitor at the Institute for Government, told the BBC: "It's a common misconception that MPs only work on those days when Parliament is sitting.
"And MPs who are ministers will still have ministerial responsibilities to deal with during recess, in addition to their constituency work."
Prime ministers will also potentially welcome other heads of state or go to Nato or G7 conferences.
Where do prime ministers go on holiday?
There are two camps: those who prefer to stay in the UK and those who have gone abroad.
Margaret Thatcher tried both in the 1980s, famously coming back from Corsica four days into a 10-day stay because she felt she and her husband Denis had seen all there was to see. She also holidayed in Cornwall, as did David Cameron with his family years later.
Theresa May enjoyed a walking holiday, either in the UK or the Alps, and Boris Johnson was known to travel to Scotland for a ramble - if not visiting Mustique.
Rishi Sunak, perhaps owing to having two daughters, went to Orlando in the US for a family trip, while Tony Blair could be found in Tuscany or Toulouse.