Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson is running the country while the Prime Minister is on her annual walking holiday.

But Downing Street has assured the nation that "the Prime Minister is very much in charge and is constantly keeping abreast of what's going on."

Mrs May went away on a walking holiday in Switzerland at the end of last week, leaving Chancellor Philip Hammond as the senior duty minister.

Image: Theresa May on holiday in Switzerland with her husband Philip

However, Mr Hammond has now gone away leaving the role to fall to Mr Johnson as the next most senior minister.

There was some criticism of Mrs May for appointing Mr Johnson to the role of Foreign Secretary because he had an unfortunate history of insulting foreign leaders.


However, filling in for the Prime Minister perhaps does not represent quite such an arduous a task.

In 2011, Nick Clegg, then deputy prime minister, forgot he was in charge while David Cameron was away.

Image: Nick Clegg forgot he was in charge once

When asked in an interview if he was supposed to be running the country he said: "Yeah, I suppose I am. I forgot about that.

"I'm holding the fort but I'm hoping to take the end of the week off with my kids.

"Someone else will have to do it then. It sounds more haphazard than it probably is. People forget there are emails and there is BlackBerry."

Labour deputy prime minister John Prescott was lambasted for being pictured playing croquet at the grace and favour country retreat Dorneywood while he was supposed to be running the country from Whitehall.