THE Prime Minister’s private jet was used for a 700-mile “booze cruise” by government officials which cost £50,000, according to recent reports.
The 91-minute flight took off from London Stansted, circling the Lake District and flying over Moffat, before returning back to Stansted. The Sun, who first broke the story, reports that those on-board – UK Foreign Office civil servants – were served “a fancy meal and drinks”.
Domestic flights produce seven times more harmful greenhouse emissions than the equivalent train journey.
In 2020, interim prime minister Boris Johnson came under scrutiny for spending £900,000 to respray his RAF Voyager plane white, with a Union Jack to its rear.
In response to criticism at the exorbitant cost of the makeover, Johnson’s official spokesperson stated at the time: “At every stage we have worked to ensure value for money for the UK taxpayer and all of the work has been undertaken in the UK, directly benefiting British suppliers."
Meanwhile, experts have warned that inflation could hit levels as high as 22% in January, as households across Scotland and the UK are pushed to the brink during the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.
A UK Government spokesperson said: "In order to comply with Airbus and aviation industry rules, the aircraft was legally bound to operate a maintenance flight before 4 September or face significant additional storage costs."
They continued to state the trip was necessary to ensure that it would “still meet ministerial requirements” after a “recent configuration of the aircraft”.
