A HELICOPTER trip taken by Rishi Sunak for a Conservative party event cost nearly £10,000, the latest MPs financial register has revealed.
The Prime Minister’s visit in May included a stop off to see a billionaire family who live just two miles from an airport before going on to his Yorkshire constituency, according to reports at the time.
The latest report published by the House of Commons shows the provision of the helicopter on May 25 was privately funded by Yorkshire based Knaresborough Aviation LLP.
Further details listed show it was for travel from a Conservative party event, with a value of £9300.
Sunak, whose fortune is estimated at around £730 million, has faced criticism over his frequent use of helicopters instead of opting for less costly transport.
READ MORE: Ian Blackford joins Alba, SNP and Yes activists for Day of Action
In May there was anger after he visited a pharmacy in Southampton by air instead of getting the train which would have taken just over an hour and cost £30 return.
The bill for the helicopter flight was picked up by the taxpayer, with Downing Street insisting it helped to “make the best use of his time”.
Last month he was flown by helicopter from London to Kent for a briefing, despite it being just over an hour away by train.
In April the Prime Minister and his entourage used private planes to fly to the Scottish and Welsh Conservative conferences, with the £38,500 costs picked up by a Tory donor.
READ MORE: Path to independence: Experts weigh in on First Minister's strategy
SNP economy spokesman Stewart Hosie said it was clear Sunak does not “understand the struggles of ordinary households”.
He said: “Near billionaire Tory Rishi Sunak doesn’t have the first clue about what it’s really like living in this Westminster-made cost of living crisis.
“Whether he’s swanning around in his luxury helicopter, lounging in his heated private swimming pool, or demonstrating that he’s so rich and out of touch he doesn’t even know how to use a contactless credit card, it’s clear he doesn’t understand the struggles of ordinary households.
“Worse still, there’s no change on offer from the Tory-lite, pro-Brexit Labour Party leader Keir Starmer – who wants to impose the same damaging Brexit and austerity cuts that have got the UK into this mess.”
He added: “The SNP is the only party offering real change with independence and real help with the cost of living.
“At the next election, voting SNP is the only way to secure independence and get rid of these reckless, unelected and out of touch Westminster governments for good.”
According to a report in The Guardian, Sunak took off from a private heliport in London on the afternoon of May 25 before landing close to Manchester airport around an hour later.
It was said he landed in the back garden of Bobby Arora, who is a co-owner of the B&M chain of stores.
After two hours, the helicopter made a 30-minute flight to the Prime Minister’s North Yorkshire constituency.
Downing Street did not respond to request for comment from the Sunday National, but at the time said Sunak needed to make the most efficient use of his time.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel