London: Government data reveals that Rishi Sunak made private jet trips totaling almost £500,000 in just over a week last year, leading the opposition to accused him of wasting the tax payers money at a time when country is facing huge economic recession.
According to a Cabinet Office report on foreign travel by prime ministers in the third quarter of 2022, Sunak spent nearly £108,000 on private jet travel to and from the Cop27 summit in Egypt, flying in on November 6 and returning the following day.
A week later, he left for the G20 meeting in Bali, Indonesia, and returned on November 17 after an expensive roundtrip of more than £340,000.
A day trip to meet troops in Latvia and Estonia cost more than £62,000 in December. The time span includes Liz Truss’s short overseas assignment, which included a private jet trip to and from a meeting in Prague that cost close to £40,000.
All of the flights mentioned involved an Airbus A-321 flown by the charter airline Titan Airways on behalf of the UK government, despite the fact that Downing Street occasionally has access to an RAF Voyager, a mid-air refuelling craft with a passenger-carrying interior.
The aircraft, which has a tail fin painted with the union jack, serves as a de facto substitute for the official aircraft flown by some other global leaders.
The energy and environment spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats, Wera Hobhouse, said: “This is a shocking waste of taxpayers’ money at a time when people are having trouble making ends meet. Once again, the Conservative Party’s administration is wholly out of date.
With their so-called “green day,” the government can give the impression that they care about the environment, but in actuality, they are breaking their own pledges.
According to the Cabinet Office costings report, nearly another £20,000 was spent on additional expenses for the prime ministers, such as lodging, food, and visas.
The expenses for the officials who travelled with us on these visits are not included. The number of the delegations ranged from the 19 that travelled with Truss to Prague to the 35 that went to Bali with Sunak.
On some of the prime ministers’ paid-for trips, like those to and from Bali, there are also journalists from the travelling UK press.
A spokesperson for Downing Street justified the flights. “The prime minister’s role includes holding crucial meetings with world leaders during bilateral visits and summits to discuss issues of international importance, including security, defense, and trade,” they declared.
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