6 days Ago By The Telegraph
David Lammy spent more than £1 million on private jets in just three months despite Labour’s vow to crack down on expensive ministerial flights. The Foreign Secretary ’s air travel bill rose to £1.2 million between October and December 2024, with the vast majority going on private flights.
It equates to more than £14,000 per day, with the lion’s share spent on trips on a ministerial jet, according to the Guido Fawkes political blog . There is no suggestion Mr Lammy’s use of private jets is out of kilter with his predecessors . However, it risks a hypocrisy row for Labour ministers, who previously lashed out at the Conservatives over their own use of private flights .
In October 2023, Rachel Reeves, now the Chancellor, promised a “crackdown on Tory ministers’ private jet habit” if Labour came to power. She said: “We will enforce the ministerial code on the use of private planes and save millions of pounds for taxpayers in the process.” Angela Rayner, now the Deputy Prime Minister, also criticised Liz Truss for using a private jet when she was foreign secretary , claiming it showed “exactly quite how little respect this Conservative government has for taxpayers’ money”.
Labour also described Rishi Sunak , the former prime minister, as “out of touch” after he used private planes and helicopters to travel around the UK during the general election campaign . ‘Newly-minted ministers’ Guido Fawkes reported that Mr Lammy’s spending on air travel rose to £1.2 million between October and December last year, up roughly a third on the previous three-month period.
Private flights accounted for the majority of the bill, at around £1.1 million, the website said. Mr Lammy faced scrutiny over his travel habits just weeks after entering government when he used a private plane to travel to New Delhi .
Andrew Murrison, the former Conservative minister, accused “newly-minted ministers” of “jaw-dropping” hypocrisy for “hopping on and off” private jets. In response, Lucy Powell, the Commons Leader, said: “I’m glad he raises that point because we’re actually having a debate this afternoon on trust in politicians and politics, as this Government brings forward its manifesto commitment to take action on the sleaze and scandal and cronyism we saw in the last Parliament.” A spokesman for the Foreign Office said: “At a time of significant global upheaval, it is vital that the Foreign Secretary can travel abroad – often at very short notice – to defend and champion the UK’s interests.
“Ministerial travel plans are decided with consideration of the best use of a minister’s time and overhead costs, in line with established practice by successive governments. These costs are consistent with his predecessors in the previous government . “This Foreign Secretary remains committed to ensuring the most cost-effective way of travel, delivering best value for money for the taxpayer.
”.
