Boris Johnson is back at work in Downing Street and is not expected to take paternity leave at the moment, after the birth of his son in the early hours of Wednesday. The prime minister’s press secretary said he would take paternity leave later in the year, after he and his fiancee, Carrie Symonds, welcomed their child at an NHS hospital in London. Johnson was present throughout the birth but later returned to work in No 10. He missed prime minister’s questions at noon, which was taken by his de facto deputy, Dominic Raab, but he did take part in a phone call with Labour leader Keir Starmer in the early afternoon. Having taken three weeks off to be treated for and recuperate from coronavirus, it is understood Johnson is determined to be present in Downing Street for the crucial decisions that need to be taken in the coming weeks on exiting the lockdown. He is also keen to preserve privacy around the birth of his son, who is thought to be either his sixth or seventh child. He has four children with his estranged wife, Marina Wheeler, and another child with the art critic Helen McNamara but has always declined to say how many sons and daughters he has overall.
“The prime minister is delighted by the birth of his baby son and I’m not going to comment on his other children,” the press secretary said. The spokesman would not name the hospital that delivered the baby, the time of arrival, or birth weight. He also declined to say whether it was a premature birth, as the couple had previously said Symonds was due in “early summer” or whether the delivery was a medical emergency. A statement released by the couple earlier on Wednesday said they had a “healthy baby boy at a London hospital earlier this morning”.
A spokeswoman for the prime minister and his partner said both mother and baby were “doing very well”. The spokeswoman said: “The prime minister and Ms Symonds are thrilled to announce the birth of a healthy baby boy at a London hospital earlier this morning. Both mother and baby are doing very well. The PM and Ms Symonds would like to thank the fantastic NHS maternity team.” Politicians across the spectrum offered their congratulations. Starmer tweeted: “Wonderful news. Many congratulations to Boris Johnson and Carrie Symonds.”
The health secretary, Matt Hancock, tweeted: “So thrilled for Boris and Carrie. Wonderful to have a moment of unalloyed joy!”