Chillaxing at Chequers: how Boris Johnson used the PM’s country house

The 16th-century mansion was given to the nation to allow its leader to unwind, and Johnson took full advantage

When Chequers was gifted to the nation a century ago, the intent was to allow prime ministers two days a week of relaxation in the Chiltern hills, because “the better the health of our rulers, the more sanely will they rule”.

Boris Johnson is alleged to have taken the invitation to kick back more seriously than most, treating Chequers as both a bolthole and a party pad.