Yes, but what was the question? UK PM Johnson asked about paternity leave

LONDON (Reuters) – British Prime Minister Boris Johnson went some way toward committing to taking paternity leave after his partner Carrie Symonds gives birth to his child later this year, but quickly said he could not remember the question.

At a news conference on Tuesday to unveil his government’s coronavirus action plan, Johnson was asked whether he would be taking paternity leave – when fathers can take two weeks off work after the birth of their child.

“I think the answer is almost certainly yes,” Johnson said, before adding: “I can’t remember what the question was.”

At the weekend, the couple announced they were expecting a baby in the early summer and were engaged to be married, making Johnson the first British prime minister to marry in office for 250 years.

Johnson, who took office in July and led his Conservative Party to a decisive election victory in December, announced in September 2018 he had separated from his wife Marina Wheeler and that they would divorce after 25 years of marriage.

He has four children with Wheeler and has fathered at least one other child but has always declined to comment on how many children he has.

(Reporting by Elizabeth Piper; editing by Stephen Addison)