Boris Johnson and his wife, Carrie, are shifting the site of a planned wedding reception, an associate of the British prime minister said on Friday, refuting suggestions that he was sticking on in a caretaker position as a result.

The Mirror said on Thursday that Johnson, who has announced he would retire, wanted to remain on for a few months because he intended to give a wedding reception at his official Chequers country estate later this month.

On the condition of anonymity, a prime ministerial ally stated that “it’s simply ludicrous to suggest” that the party strategy was a basis for Johnson to remain in a caretaker capacity. Chequers would no longer host the celebration.

A Downing Street official responded to the allegation on Thursday, saying, “The Prime Minister has a strong sense of responsibility and will continue to serve his nation until a new leader is in place, purely to complete his duties to the people.”

Johnson married Carrie, 34, last year in a low-key, secret ceremony at Westminster Cathedral in central London in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic.