David Lammy has spent more than £1 million on private jets in just three months despite Labour’s vow to crack down on expensive ministerial flights and its Net Zero fanaticism. The Telegraph has more.
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.
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.
Read More: David Lammy Spends Over £1 Million on Private Jets