Rishi Sunak made RAF jet fly 200 miles to select him up from TV grilling

Rishi Sunak had a taxpayer-funded jet fly simply over 200 miles to select him up after he did an occasion to supposedly meet extraordinary voters.

The VIP flight addict was met at Teesside International Airport in Darlington by an RAF aircraft after he was grilled by an viewers at a GB News “People’s Panel”. A prepare from Darlington to London takes just below two-and-a-half hours.

The PM has been closely criticised over his use of personal planes, and that is the fourth time he is taken an RAF VIP jet to occasions this 12 months. A Labour supply advised The Mirror: “It’s the same old Rishi Sunak, getting whisked away from the People’s Panel to his own private plane. He can pretend to engage with the British public all he wants, but as soon as the show is over, he’s got his head straight back in the clouds, enjoying his luxury lifestyle at taxpayers’ expense.”

Flight information present a Dassault Falcon flew from RAF Northolt in London to Teesside International Airport, arriving at 7.50pm on Monday. It then took off once more at 9.41pm, quickly after Mr Sunak completed filming.

It is one among two RAF planes the PM has utilized in latest months. On January 8 he was flown to Preston and again to do a PM Connect occasion – a journey that will have taken simply over two hours by prepare. Then on January 29 a Falcon flew empty to Darlington to deliver Mr Sunak again to London after a go to to advertise his anti-vaping coverage.

And earlier this month, on February 8, Mr Sunak was flown to Newquay earlier than the aircraft returned to the capital with out him. A Government spokesman mentioned: “The Prime Minister regularly uses all forms of travel. His travel plans will vary and are always decided with consideration to the most efficient and best use of his time, and the interests of the taxpayer”.

In June final 12 months, Mr Sunak got here beneath hearth after taking a helicopter on a 74-mile journey to Kent to brag about his work to cease small boat crossings. This got here regardless of him going through a backlash for taking a VIP chopper to Southampton final May – a journey that will have taken one hour and quarter-hour by prepare.