Rishi Sunak’s private jet flight to Leeds blows his green credentials sky high

Not for the first time, a prime minister of the UK has taken a trip in an unnecessarily expensive and climate-damaging way, purely for the prestige or convenience.

There was Liz Truss’ £500k flight to Australia, Boris Johnson’s flight to Cornwall to discuss climate change and Johnson’s other jet jaunts back from a Cornish holiday and to Blackpool for a photo opportunity, to name a few.

The current PM’s choice of private jet to visit a Leeds hospital has come under fire, with many people pointing out the terrible optics as ordinary people struggle with the cost of living, while others referenced the government’s green pledges.

NEW: Rishi Sunak travelled to Leeds on board a fourteen-passenger jet on Monday.

It comes after the government last July pledged a "jet-zero" strategy. https://t.co/3d8YWtmg41

— Ava-Santina (@AvaSantina) January 10, 2023

Downing Street provided an excuse.

NEW: Rishi Sunak took a private jet to Leeds yesterday, No 10 say, because it was the most efficient use of his limited time. ✈️

— Pippa Crerar (@PippaCrerar) January 10, 2023

People weren’t surprised, and they really weren’t impressed.

1.

Glad to see the richest Prime Minister we've ever had wasn't affected by the strikes. Or the climate crisis. Or the cost of living. https://t.co/6nnoDNtkaB

— Best for Britain (@BestForBritain) January 10, 2023

2.

If I was a politician constantly accused of being wildly out of touch, I'd get on a train, even if it took eight minutes longer than a personal jet. Fuck it, I'd take the Megabus. https://t.co/iy3UZmbmI0

— Adam Kay (@amateuradam) January 10, 2023

3.

There’s out of touch, then there’s this…https://t.co/FsDv7ivQwL

— Marina Purkiss (@MarinaPurkiss) January 10, 2023

4.

Don't know why more agency nurses don't do this tbh. https://t.co/Rl09VK0AkF

— THE SECRET TORY 🇬🇧 (@secrettory12) January 10, 2023

5.

The first question in Rishi's new maths educational curriculum: If a private jet from London to Leeds takes overall around 3 hours, and a train from London to Leeds takes 2.5 hours, which is a more efficient use of the Prime Minister's limited time? https://t.co/p6n4jHd3BV

— Tiernan Douieb (@TiernanDouieb) January 10, 2023

6.

Climate change and no future for children or efficient time use, such a tough call https://t.co/dG4dFRifne

— HappyToast★ (@IamHappyToast) January 10, 2023

7.

Rishi Sunak is too good for the railways & too good for the NHS https://t.co/mFOIizqqSg

— Toby Earle 🇺🇦 (@TobyonTV) January 10, 2023

8.

What they mean is he is only going to be PM for a limited time so he needs to use the private jet whenever he can. https://t.co/tJ4K1xcr3T

— Chris Kehoe (@MrKehoe79) January 10, 2023

9.

*Long, weary sigh as I continue to separate my recycling* https://t.co/1Q2A4cx1k3

— Gee Aitch Cee (@Scriblit) January 10, 2023

10.

We have a totally out of touch PM. How can we trust him with both our public services and our UK response to the #ClimateEmergency? Answer: we can't. He is useless. https://t.co/vo1jGutwa8

— Jenny Jones 🇺🇦 (@GreenJennyJones) January 10, 2023

11.

Private jet
Private health
Private school

To be fair his party have run the health, transport and education systems we all have to use into the ground so what’s a busy PM to do?

I wonder if he realises that lots of us are ‘busy’ too so need things to actually work! https://t.co/gG56jcPANX

— Jemma Forte (@jemmaforte) January 10, 2023

12.

Rishi Sunak, 7 November 2022: "we can turn our struggle against climate change into a global mission." https://t.co/tXOIyf4VA7

— Jo Maugham (@JolyonMaugham) January 10, 2023

13.

Rishi Sunak, the person in charge of our public services, uses private health, private planes and went to a private school.

The privatised Prime Minister.

— Sam Bright (@WritesBright) January 10, 2023

14.

Rishi Sunak took a private jet to Leeds because he thinks he's rich enough to avoid the worst of climate breakdown and that everyone else is expendable. ✈️🔥 https://t.co/y92maTbJtz

— Just Stop Oil (@JustStop_Oil) January 10, 2023

15.

One rule for them.
One rule for us.

— Paul Pashley (@MrPaulPashley) January 10, 2023

We can’t help wondering who could do the job Jonn Elledge suggests here.

Once again I am struck by the fact there has been no attempt whatsoever to neutralise the "out of touch" attack line. He's so out of touch he doesn't realise he might benefit from someone whose job it is to tell him when he looks out of touch. https://t.co/YVJbY8Qayf

— Jonn Elledge (@JonnElledge) January 10, 2023

We hear Boris Johnson has a lot of free time these days.

READ MORE

Taxpayers will foot the £500K bill for Liz Truss’ private jet trip to Australia

Source Ava Santina Image Screengrab, Screengrab