Is it cos he’s now rich enough just to p*ss off? Bored with the job etc wields more influence/malevolence overseas? But hey, the good people of Clacton will have a choice - again.
I had to get my GP to write me a sick note if I couldn't be arsed attending my place of work. And it was the same for my colleagues that loved a fag and a pint. And I'm sure my employer would have noticed if I was actually in another country when I should've been at work.