to think our Prime Minister and his family are entitled to a summer holiday abroad?

[MeiMeiMeiMei]

Heaven knows I loathe the man's policies but surely he and his family are entitled to a week or two in the sun? A couple of nutters murdered an innocent man but he'd just be giving more publicity to their "cause" if he cancelled his family trip to Ibiza?

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I don't really care where he is. It's not as if he gives the impression of running the country when he is here.

But he's vulnerable to accusations that he's a shirker, particularly in the Conservative Party, so going on holiday is a provocative act.

I guess he knows what he's doing by pissing off the Daily Telegraph, but it's hard to say. Who knows what goes on behind Dave's eyes?

in general limited (accusations of shirker) or specifically because of this?

You ate definitely not being unreasonable.

In my opinion the PM and his family are entitled to take a holiday abroad, to wherever that may be.

I certainky don't think the whole thing should have been cancelled in light of the events in Woolwich last Wednesday. What would that have achieved? Demonstrating to the perpetrators that they can cause maximum disruption due to their actions...?

I think this thread has some bitter commentators who are using the story to just bash the PM/other people who are going abroad on holiday.
So what, if you can't afford a holiday- home or abroad- how is that someone else's fault?

I don't think he ever really gets a holiday. I bet his phone will be going constantly. You don't get a break from being the PM.

Why amandine? He is the PM - surely there is an expectation that his holidays may have to be cancelled at very short notice. One of the very few jobs where the job takes precedence over family I'd say

Presumably this was a planned holiday to co-incide with half term.

How could he possibly have forseen this would happen?

Should he take his kids out of school (I can't remember how old they are...presuming school-age) to have some family time,then? He would be castigated for doing that, because "ordinary " people aren't allowed!!

Just when would be the right time to take some leave with his family?

Plus...we have deputy PM. He should be in charge when PM not available.

Possibly never jam

There's a lot of us who can't take leave to be together as a family.
It's one or the other taking annual leave for childcare.

Not much to play with to actually go away as a unit on holiday,even if you can afford it.

I will personally contribute ten pounds to send Cameron and his simpering wife to Afghanistan for a holiday or if they fancy somewhere closer to home a long weekend on the Falls road Belfast. I'll even give them a union jack t-shirt to wear for the occasion.

I can't afford a uk holiday and there is no way I would get on a plane for a holiday abroad.

I love seeing other people's holiday photos

As an aside to the OP can I ask scottishmummy something ?

Why do you use that writing style when you post ? Its not at all readable and always puts me in mind of telegrams for some reason.

If the PM had gone to stay with his Aunt in Clacton for the weekend nobody would know or care its only because hes in Spain its "newsworthy"

I agree kim. Not sure this is one of those times. However I do not agree that he is allowed sacrosanct times (like the majority of us are) where he can say he'll definitely be unavailable. I think this is one of those jobs where job comes over family and any other plans have the potential for disruption.
DH and I have fairly senior jobs (well it's all relative :o). He will be on call on Friday when we're on holiday as he's delegated a particular task to someone who hasn't been able to have enough training (which is DH's fault and problem and he completely accepts that). I regularly work weekends and long hours - was working Christmas Eve when I was meant to be off to get something finished. Our actual 'responsbility' is a fraction of running the country.

Making a massive huge fuss over this murder is exactly what the perpetrators want.

Calling them terrorists and jihadists etc plays into their mentality. They are violent criminals and should be treated as such.

Scary as it sounds, it doesn't take a mastermind to get some weaponry and wait in the street outside a barracks for a soldier to walk by.

Just as it is recommend that coverage of spree killings is low key and doesn't show the killer (doesn't happen mind, but that's the media for you), I think a similar approach would beneficial here.

As horrifying as Lee Rigby's death was, it has not hugely disrupted UK life, hence I see no problem with Cameron's holiday.

I thought I had explained that already kim147
I have a problem with him having a holiday at the moment.
I also think in a time where people are suffering financially any holiday should be in Britain.
He is pm.
He should be here when his role demands.
He should show that we're 'all in it together' when it comes to austerity. (ha bloody ha)

I agree that this is unfair criticism and I am not a Cameron fan either. There is nothing to be gained (other than in the most cynical PR terms) by cancelling his holiday, and he had reasonably enough planned this in half term. Had he gone in term time that would also be wrong. It is not unreasonable even for the PM to take a family holiday - if there were riots in the streets it might be different but right now the situation is manageable - this is the point of having a Cabinet, so others can also manage things, surely?

As for the 'well I can't afford a holiday so why should he have one?' approach - I think the Tories have unfortunately widened the gap between rich and poor appallingly. However, that is no reason for me to sink to their level and make this a race to the bottom where no-one should take a holiday because some people (me included) can't afford one right now. If he was glugging vintage champagne in the world's most expensive resort it might be different.

Many (not all but many) British holidays are themselves an expensive middle-class privilege. I have, when better off, chosen to go on holiday in the UK knowing that I could go abroad for less. So it doesn't necessarily follow that the 'austerity' option = staying in the UK.

Agree

I feel for Samantha Cameron, her husband has a very high profile job. They both have children and also has lost a child.

They deserve time together as a family, perhaps his wife and children need him for a few days just to be a normal family. They can't have that in the uk

No I agree Snazzy (and plus if he doesn't spend his money on a holiday then presumably the money just sits in his account earning interest) but holiday in Britain would put some money back into the pockets of the people his policies affect.

McNew I completely disagree. I think that is one of the sacrifices of being PM actually.