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Starmer defends taking private jet from Wales to Scotland

31 May 2024 2 minute read
Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer (left) and Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar at a launch event for Labour’s six steps for change – their doorstep offer to Scots. Photo Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire

Sir Keir Starmer has defended his decision to fly by private jet between Wales and Scotland, saying it was the most “efficient” way to travel between campaign events.

The Labour leader confirmed on Friday that he had taken a private plane to Inverclyde after campaigning in south Wales the day before.

Efficient

He said: “We did use a private jet because we needed to get very quickly to Scotland from Wales yesterday, and we have to use the most efficient form of transport in the middle of a very, very busy General Election campaign.

“We offset the carbon, we always do whenever we use transport in the air.”

He added: “We’ve got five weeks to take our argument to the country, I need to get across the country to speak to as many people as possible, and from time to time we have to do it as efficiently as possible.”

Labour has previously criticised the Prime Minister for using private planes and helicopters to travel around the country, describing him as “out of touch”.

‘Private jet habit’

Rachel Reeves has also promised to crack down on “Tory ministers’ private jet habit” if Labour comes to power, targeting ministers’ use of chartered flights to travel abroad.

Rishi Sunak has similarly said using private jets is “the most efficient use of my time” when challenged over his flights.

Tory chairman Richard Holden said: “Nothing better illustrates Starmerism than the fact Sir Keir has flown on a private jet to Scotland, to launch a stock logo of something U-turning in on itself, for an energy company which won’t produce any energy – that’s not a plan to keep our energy secure and our country protected from Putin.”

Sir Keir was in Greenock on Friday to launch both Labour’s “six first steps for Scotland” and the logo for the proposed GB Energy as part of the party’s General Election campaign.

Labour’s plan for GB Energy would see a publicly owned company, headquartered in Scotland, that would invest in domestic renewable energy projects.


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Mab Meirion
Mab Meirion
1 month ago

Let those who never fly Easy Ryan Airways cast the first stone…

CapM
CapM
1 month ago
Reply to  Mab Meirion

OK then I’m entitled to lob a few in his direction.
Hypocrite
Incompetent at planning an itinerary.
Fool for believing offsetting carbon balances the carbon footprint.
If not a fool then dishonest for using it as justification.
for starters

Karl
Karl
1 month ago
Reply to  Mab Meirion

They are not private jets. We have flights to Edinburgh from Rhoose. He is full of crap and anyone who doesn’t fly private,can lay into him.

Charles
Charles
1 month ago
Reply to  Mab Meirion

He should be setting an example.

Y Cymro
Y Cymro
1 month ago

Autocrat Keir Starmer is a hypocritic. I can confidentially predict that Wales in five years time unless we start standing up for our national & democratic rights, our Senedd will be reduced back to the New Labour toothless talking shop of 1999. And unless we start voting for Plaid Cymru, give support to YesCymru and other pro-independence movements, this neverending circle of poverty rule and Whitehall imposition will remain the norm.

Valerie Matthews
Valerie Matthews
1 month ago

He is no longer supported by the Labour Membership or the Unions, Big Business. pour money into this pretenders Coffers. He IS a Tory by Instinct so acts like them. Hence him being OK with acting like a one. He and Labour no longer represent the Working Families of the UK!

Adrian
Adrian
1 month ago

The eco-loons who call for everyone to curtail their lifestyle, in the name of the made-up climate catastrophe, never include themselves in the equation: they’re ‘special’ you see. Starmer though is not an eco-zealot, just like he’s not actually confused about what a woman is. Starmer is bereft of scruples, and will say and do whatever he thinks is politically expedient at the time. I don’t think people have any idea of how disastrous the forthcoming Labour government is going to be, but it’ll become very clear, very quickly.

Richard Davies
Richard Davies
1 month ago
Reply to  Adrian

You ruin what you say in the last part of your comment with your incredibly ludicrous and incorrect first sentence!

Adrian
Adrian
1 month ago
Reply to  Richard Davies

Switch off the BBC and try reading instead: I’d suggest Lindzen, Lomborg, and Koonin..you know, actual scientist.

You could write down what most politicians know about climate science on the back of a postage stamp.

Richard Davies
Richard Davies
1 month ago
Reply to  Adrian

Please do not make any assumptions as to where I obtain my news and current affairs, you are mistaken if you think my go-to is the BBC! lindzen is a retired lecturer at MIT, is linked to an oil industry think-tank (Competitive Enterprise Institute), all his MIT colleagues reject his opinions on climate change! His claims are fact-checked at https://www.inverse.com/article/11643-climate-change-denying-mit-prof-richard-lindzen-is-suddenly-popular-still-wrong lomborg has a PhD in political science – not a true science, not a scientist! koonin is a theoretical physicist, with links to the oil and gas industry (specifically BP)! lomborg and koonin have links to the american right-wing think… Read more »

Adrian
Adrian
1 month ago
Reply to  Richard Davies

The fact that you’ve immediately opted for playing the men rather than the balls demonstrates your scientific illiteracy. I look forward to your empirical critique of the data they present.

Mawkernewek
1 month ago

I see they bothered to translate CHANGE to NEWID in Wales but couldn’t be bothered with Gaidhlig.

hdavies15
hdavies15
1 month ago

Private jet – fuelled by hot air and bulls**t . Wonderful superfuel approved by the high priests/apostles of the green gospels

Charles
Charles
1 month ago

Take the train go standard class and show you understand how life works or use a plane and show you donr care and dont want to.

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