'Most effective use of his time': Downing Street defends Rishi Sunak for taking RAF jet from London to Leeds
10 January 2023, 16:13 | Updated: 10 January 2023, 16:40
Rishi Sunak has been criticised for using an RAF jet to fly 200 miles to Leeds for a visit to a healthcare centre.
Downing Street has said that Prime Minister made the 36-minute trip by air because it was the "most effective use of his time".
The PM has faced criticism for making a 36-minute trip from London to Leeds on a small plane yesterday morning to visit a West Yorkshire healthcare centre.
Downing Street posted a photo the PM getting on the plane before it departed at 7.47am, according to flight tracker data.
Mr Sunak then landed in Yorkshire at 8.23am before the aircraft returned three and a half hours later, touching down back in Northolt, West London at 12.25pm.
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Mr Sunak's spokesperson said the Prime Minister had flown instead of travelling by train, which takes around two hours 22 minutes, as it was the "most effective use of his time".
He said: "The transport the prime minister takes will vary and is always done with any interests of most effective use of time, enabling him to get around the entirety of the UK when there is a great deal of pressure on his time.
"It will vary depending on what's most appropriate."
Speaking to Sky News, Adrian Ramsay, co-leader of the Green Party said: "Private jets are estimated to be between five and 14 times more polluting than commercial flights and 50 times more polluting than taking a train.
"It is completely indefensible for Conservative ministers to make such short distance journeys by private jet when a far cheaper and much less damaging option is available."
While Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner said: "Families will be rightly angered by this show of extravagance by Rishi Sunak.
"Patients and staff are crying out for action from this government in the midst of a crisis in our NHS while the prime minister jets from London to Leeds for a photo op.
"The prime minister must come clean about how much taxpayers' money was wasted on this 36-minute plane journey for a three-hour visit at the height of a cost-of-living crisis."
