July 25th 2023.
Michael Gove, the Housing Secretary, has vehemently denied that the government has been slow in responding to the ongoing wildfires in Greece. Despite calls from the opposition to issue a 'Do Not Travel' warning, Gove insists that the country is safe for holidaymakers.
He has even gone so far as to confirm that he will be jetting off to the Greek island of Evia next week. Reflecting on the situation, Gove said: "I'm due to go on holiday, God willing, to Greece in just over a week's time, not to Rhodes but to another island and I'm looking forward to going. Greece is a wonderful country, a wonderful place to holiday and we do need to support the Greek government in dealing with the situation in Rhodes. My heart goes out to those who are affected but the advice is clear, if you follow the Foreign Office advice it is safe."
The advice for British holidaymakers in Greece is to check with their tour operator or airline before travelling. As a result, Jet2 has cancelled regular flights to Rhodes for the rest of the week, while Tui has cancelled flights until Wednesday. Despite this, Michael Gove is still planning to jet to Greece next week.
Layla Moran, the Liberal Democrats' foreign affairs spokesperson, believes a 'Do Not Travel' warning needs to be issued as soon as possible, particularly for the island of Rhodes, which is among the worst-affected areas. She commented: "As wildfires blaze and thousands are evacuated, it is staggering that the Foreign Office travel guidance for Rhodes does not advise against all but essential travel. Thanks to Conservative ministers' inaction, many families are unable to make a claim against their insurance, leaving them paying the penalty for deciding not to fly out to the island. The government urgently needs to get a grip and help holiday makers who have been impacted by these terrible scenes."
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