Politicians like Keir Starmer should take more time off – not less

Crises “don’t take holidays”, wrote Gordon Brown, in what was taken as a rebuke to Keir Starmer who was, on Wednesday, still on holiday. The article was purportedly criticising the prime minister and the Conservative candidates to succeed him, but as Boris Johnson had returned from his delayed honeymoon three days earlier, and the two candidates were visible daily, it seemed a pointed reference to Brown’s successor as Labour leader.

If it was, I disagree with it. I could see why, presentationally, this was a good chance for Labour to look as if it had a plan while the government dithered. Not that we need a plan immediately, because the higher gas and electricity bills don’t come in until October and the precise amount of the increase won’t be announced by Ofgem until 26 August. Nor does the plan need much work, because it consists mainly of increasing the help for vulnerable people, through state benefits, announced by Rishi Sunak in May.

It didn’t even have to be announced by Starmer himself, as Rachel Reeves, the shadow chancellor, could do it, and Labour is supposed to be presenting a team for government rather than a presidential leader. As it was, Reeves made a statement, late in the week, condemning the higher charges for people using prepayment meters, and Starmer repeated it when he returned from his holiday on Friday.

So maybe Labour could have been quicker, with the outline of a bigger plan. But Starmer absolutely should not be criticised for being on holiday.

All politicians should take more holidays, because they will make better decisions if they have time to switch off, and to think, and the politicians who have young children should take holidays when it suits the children rather than when it fits in with the headlines. We should make it easier rather than harder for elected representatives with school-age children to take the top jobs.

I agree with Dominic Raab, who as foreign secretary was criticised for going on holiday with his family because Kabul fell more quickly than the Foreign Office expected.

“One thing I believe now more than ever is people who have high-pressure jobs need to take leave, to recharge, particularly when you have younger kids, you have a duty to them,” he told The Times in an interview this weekend. “In politics I see lots of stress, relationships that don’t go the full distance because people don’t get the right work-life balance. If I don’t make time for my boys now those tender years will be gone in a flash.”

Hear, hear.

Yours,

John Rentoul

Chief political commentator