Boris Johnson says he will take paternity leave following birth of latest child
2 min read
Boris Johnson is set to take two weeks of paternity leave following the birth of his latest child, he has revealed.
The Prime Minister said he would "almost certainly" take time off after his fiance, Carrie Symonds, gives birth in the summer.
She announced on Saturday that she was expecting the couple's first child, and that they had got engaged.
In a post on her Instagram account, she said: "I wouldn't normally post this kind of thing on here but I wanted my friends to find out from me ... Many of you already know but for my friends that still don't, we got engaged at the end of last year... and we've got a baby hatching early summer.”
She added: "Feel incredibly blessed."
At a Downing Street press conference, Mr Johnson was asked if he would take the two weeks off he is entitled to by law after the baby is born.
He replied: "Almost certainly, yes."
Mr Johnson’s engagement to the 31-year-old environmental former Conservative communications chief came after he agreed a financial settlement to divorce his second wife, Marina Wheeler, earlier this month.
The 55-year-old Tory leader had been married to Ms Wheeler for 25 years, with the couple having four children together.
He is also understood to have fathered another child following a relationship he had with another woman during his marriage.
The Prime Minister and Ms Symonds moved into 10 Downing Street together last year when Mr Johnson became Conservative Party leader.
The move made Ms Symonds - who has previously worked as special adviser to ex-Cabinet ministers Sajid Javid and John Whittingdale - the first unmarried partner of a Prime Minister to live at the official residence.
The pair’s relationship was thrust into the spotlight during the Tory leadership campaign last year when police were called to the South London home the couple shared following a noisy altercation.
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