Theresa May on holiday: Who's in charge while the Prime Minister unwinds in Switzerland

Everything you need to know about the Prime Minister's trip to Switzerland, a mere month since taking office

Prime Minister Theresa May is taking a break to unwind in Switzerland (Getty)

After a frantic first four weeks as prime minister, Theresa May is catching her breath on a 13-day break in Switzerland.

So who’s in charge while she’s away?

Theresa May. Modern communications mean that the prime minister can always be contacted wherever he or she is. The tradition of leaving a senior Cabinet minister in charge while the PM was away disappeared when Tony Blair appeared reluctant to leave his deputy John Prescott minding the shop.

Why Switzerland?

Ms May and her husband Philip have been going to Switzerland for 35 years. The main attraction is their love of walking in the Alps, which the couple discovered by chance on their first trip to the country. They are said to enjoy doing ever more strenuous hikes each time they visit. Their favourite places include Zermatt, the Bernese Oberland and Lucerne.

Mrs May has described the Alps as a “wonderful summer destination” where “the views are spectacular, the air is clear and you can get some peace and quiet,” although the latter might be harder given her new job.

Will they ever walk alone?

Unlikely. The Mays are expected to be accompanied every step of the way by security men and women. The PM is likely to be joined on holiday by a Number 10 private secretary and administrative staff called “garden girls” because their office is next to the Downing Street garden.

What happens if there is a national emergency and she's stuck up a mountain with no phone signal?

Number 10 is confident that the PM will always be contactable by the Downing Street switchboard (dubbed “switch”). It is famously efficient at tracking down people wherever they are in the world.

Didn't Margaret Thatcher holiday in Switzerland?

Yes. Our first woman PM regularly stayed at the lakeside home of Sir Douglas Glover, a retired Tory MP. But Baroness Thatcher was notoriously reluctant to switch off. Lunches and dinners were organised with Switzerland’s great and good. She sometimes stunned Number 10 staff by cutting short her summer break because there was so much to do at home.

Will Ms May really switch off?

As Home Secretary for six years, Ms May had a reputation for being a workaholic who often read the papers in her red boxes until the early hours. There will be no shortage of reading material in her new post. But allies say the hillwalking will enable her to recharge her batteries, and she is said to enjoy the hotel whirlpool.

The PM couldn't have picked a more neutral destination then?

True. Switzerland is the oldest neutral country in the world; it has not fought in a war since 1815.

If Ms May hadn’t been going there for so many years, people might have interpreted her visit as a sign that she would seek the “Swiss model” for the UK after the Brexit. Switzerland has partial access to the European single market through more than 120 bilateral agreements, giving it looser trade links than Norway, but does accept EU rules on free movement.

Why didn’t Ms May opt for a staycation?

There had been speculation at Westminster that she might follow in David Cameron’s footsteps by booting the UK tourism industry. The PM loves walking in Snowdonia and gave Angela Merkel, who also likes hiking, a book about walking there at their first meeting last month. Ms May has already cancelled one holiday this year and might have decided to be true to herself rather than “spin” her holiday. Mr Cameron was criticised for being much-photographed on his annual Cornwall holiday and then trying to avoid the cameras on family breaks to places such as the Canaries, Portugal or Spain.