Helicopter rides and electoral annihilation: Rishi Sunak’s expensive commute
Rishi Sunak’s use of a taxpayer-funded helicopter to Southampton on Tuesday, costing around £6,000 to the taxpayers, has been criticised as wasteful and environmentally damaging. Number 10 defends it as necessary for effective time management.
Rishi Sunak’s use of a taxpayer-funded helicopter to Southampton on Tuesday, costing around £6,000 to the taxpayers, has been criticised as wasteful and environmentally damaging. Number 10 defends it as necessary for effective time management.
📌 The main points...
- The Conservatives’ recent loss of over 1,000 council seats makes Rishi Sunak’s decision to take a helicopter to Southampton on Tuesday look poorly timed and damaging.
- The cost of the trip was around £6,000, in contrast to the approximate £30 return train ticket cost.
- Sunak’s use of private jets creates the impression he is out of touch and prioritises his personal convenience and raises questions about his commitment to sustainability.
P rime Minister Rishi Sunak opted to fly to and from Southampton by helicopter, rather than take the train, on Tuesday, amid a dispiriting electoral annihilation for the Conservative Party; it has been suggested the taxpayer will be footing the bill.
Departing from Wellington Barracks in Westminster at 9:15 am, Sunak flew over to Southampton where he visited a pharmacy to make an announcement about chemists being able to issue prescriptions for millions of patients.
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