Johnson holds call with world leaders including Biden after return from holiday

The Prime Minister had been accused by a Tory peer of being away on ‘shore leave’ while the UK is in crisis.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson (Oli Scarff/PA) (PA Wire)

Boris Johnson has held a call with US President Joe Biden and other world leaders after returning from his second holiday of the summer.

The Prime Minister discussed the Iran nuclear deal and the Russian-occupied nuclear complex in Ukraine with the US president, France’s Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Sunday.

Downing Street said he had returned to the UK and is expected to fully resume work in No 10 again from Monday.

He had been holidaying with wife Carrie Johnson in Greece after their honeymoon to Slovenia.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been on holiday with his wife Carrie (Aaron Chown/PA) (PA Wire)

The leaders discussed co-operation on international security, including the risk of the fighting around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant occupied by Vladimir Putin’s troops.

They welcomed the Russian president’s agreement to allow the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to visit the site amid concerns over its safety.

“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,” a No 10 statement said.

The White House account of the call said the leaders discussed “ongoing negotiations” over Iran’s nuclear programme, as the US considers Tehran’s latest proposal on the Iran nuclear deal.

Its statement said the men discussed the “need to strengthen support for partners in the Middle East region, and joint efforts to deter and constrain Iran’s destabilising regional activities”.

The four countries on the call were all signatories of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) that crumbled when Donald Trump’s administration withdrew from the agreement in 2018.

No 10 added: “The Prime Minister welcomed the opportunity to speak, and the leaders agreed their teams would continue working closely together in the coming weeks.”

Mr Johnson had faced criticism for being on holiday as the UK’s economic picture worsened, with inflation soaring and energy prices set to shoot up again.

Asda chairman and Tory peer Lord Rose criticised a “horrifying” absence of fresh support, and said: “The captain of the ship is on shore leave – nobody is in charge at the moment.”

Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner said Mr Johnson had “abdicated his responsibility and bailed on the country” in his final weeks in No 10 ahead of his replacement, either Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak, taking over on September 6.