Sir Keir Starmer heading abroad for New Year's Day

Sir Keir Starmer is to head abroad over the New Year after spending Christmas Day at Chequers in Buckinghamshire.

The prime minister is enjoying his first festive period in the role after winning the general election at the start of July.

According to a Downing Street spokesperson, he will spend time with his family over the coming days.

However, instead of doing so at Downing Street or their family home, the Starmers will head to the grace and favour country residence of Chequers in the Buckinghamshire countryside.

After spending the 25 December there, the prime minister and his family are going to go "abroad" over New Year's Day - although where was not confirmed.

The prime minister has drawn criticism from some circles about his frequent trips abroad to various summits.

Since Labour's election win in July, he has flown to destinations including Samoa, Brazil, Azerbaijan, the US, Saudi Arabia and many others.

However, these trips have all been for summits and international meetings, rather than personal holidays.

Sir Keir's next trip was confirmed to journalists as a government spokesperson spoke before the Christmas break.

Reporters were also told the prime minister had spoken to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday morning.

The pair discussed the UK's support for Kyiv in its war against Russia.

A spokesperson said: "President Zelenskyy reflected on the situation on the frontline in Ukraine and the need to ensure Ukraine could degrade Russian forces for the long haul.

"What happens in Ukraine in the coming weeks and months matters to Europe and NATO, and it was vital President Putin's ambitions fail in Ukraine, the leaders agreed."

This comes ahead of Donald Trump's return to the White House in less than a month, and his stance that the negotiations to end the conflict should begin swiftly.

The spokesperson also defended the decision to appoint Lord Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the United States under Mr Trump, saying the New Labour architect has extensive foreign policy and trade expertise and shows how seriously the UK is taking its relationship with the US.

(c) Sky News 2024: Sir Keir Starmer heading abroad for New Year's Day