INSIDERS have told how Boris Johnson is presiding over a “zombie government” in his final days in post as Prime Minister as pictures emerged of him holidaying in Greece.
Sources have told the i newspaper that No. 10 has “completely checked out” and that the situation at the heart of power was “really bad”.
One official told the i: “Everything massively slowed down.
“No 10 started telling us we needed to get things signed off by new ministers – even when they had already signed them off in their previous role.”
Another source said: “The Johnson Government never did anything anyway until the very last moment. And now we have a total zombie administration.”
The paper reports that Johnson’s protracted battle to remain in post – despite an unprecedented number of ministers quitting his Government earlier this year – and his delayed resignation statement has caused a power vacuum in Whitehall.
'No. 10 has no authority'
An insider said: “Nobody is bothering to get things cleared by No. 10.
“When Boris first resigned loads of No. 10 people changed their WhatsApp pictures to say ‘out of office’. Some No. 10 staffers just went on holiday, some have quit. Getting clearance for anything is a nightmare because No. 10 have no authority.”
One Downing Street official said their phone “immediately” stopped ringing after the Prime Minister said he would step down, adding: “Suddenly no one cared what the PM thought about things any more.”
A number of senior Downing Street aides took lengthy summer holidays following Johnson conceding he had lost the confidence of Conservative MPs, the paper reports.
Asked by reporters earlier this month why the Prime Minister had booked two getaways in a row for August rather than next month, when his successor will be in place, Johnson’s spokesman said: “I don't have anything for you on that."
It comes after reports that flagship legislation such as Nadine Dorries’ online safety bill had been put on hold by the caretaker administration.
Six Greeks help PM off boat
It comes after The Sun obtained pictures of Johnson and his wife Carrie on holiday on the Greek island of Evia.
The trip came hot on the heels of a trip to Slovenia that the couple made for a belated honeymoon.
The paper reports that “six Greek men came to his rescue” after the Prime Minister struggled to disembark a boat late in the evening and that on the final evening of the break Johnson dined on pasta and lamb chops with a rosé.
They were joined on the trip by adviser Henry Newman – a friend of Carrie’s – who was moved from No. 10 to work for Michael Gove amid rumours the Prime Minister’s wife was influencing his political appointments.
A local told The Sun: “They looked so relaxed. They were laughing and joking.
"He read his book and she spent the time sunbathing. They got on the boat at 3.30pm and returned at 8.30pm, so they had a great time.
“He needed help stepping off the boat when it docked late evening, so six Greek men came to his rescue.”
It comes amid calls from the Scottish Government for Westminster to get a grip on the cost-of-living crisis which threatens to plunge 72% of Scots into fuel poverty by January.
The Prime Minister's spokesman said Johnson was back at work on Sunday and made calls to European leaders to discuss the Ukraine crisis.
He said: "The Prime Minister spoke to the leaders of the United States, France and Germany this afternoon to discuss cooperation on matters of international security and diplomacy.
“On a joint call the Prime Minister, President Biden, President Macron and Chancellor Scholz underlined their steadfast commitment to supporting Ukraine in the face of Russia’s invasion.
“They stressed the importance of ensuring the safety and security of nuclear installations and welcomed recent discussions on enabling an IAEA mission to the Zaporizhzhia facility.
“They also discussed other shared priorities, including Iran and joint efforts to prevent nuclear proliferation and deter Iran’s destabilising regional activities.
“The Prime Minister welcomed the opportunity to speak, and the leaders agreed their teams would continue working closely together in the coming weeks.”
