Exhausted PM off on holiday before heading Brexit battle
SHATTERED Theresa May is to take a three-week summer holiday to reinvigorate herself for the looming parliamentary battle over Brexit, Downing Street sources revealed last night.
The Prime Minister and her husband Philip will spend five days in northern Italy followed by a fortnight’s hiking in the Swiss Alps.
Her getaway follows a draining five months of general election campaigning, followed by strenuous efforts to reassert authority amid Tory infighting after losing her Commons majority.
“She is looking forward to her holiday,” Downing Street said.
Mrs May is also facing a gruelling parliamentary wrangle to pass her crunch EU Repeal Bill through the Lords and Commons this autumn.
Mrs May and her husband are expected to fly to Italy on Monday. She will briefly return to Number 10 the following weekend, before heading to Belgium for the official commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Passchendaele on July 31.
Mrs May will attend the commemoration along with Prince Charles and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
Mrs May said last night: “The name Passchendaele resonates with anyone with a passing knowledge of the First World War. I am honoured to be attending alongside the descendants of those who took part in the battle.
“It is a timely reminder of the horror of the First World War and the need for friends and allies to continue to work together in the pursuit of peace.”