Downing Street has defended the decision for the government-chartered plane carrying Andy Burnham to a Commonwealth summit in the Caribbean to stop in Manchester to collect the prime minister, leaving him open to accusations of hypocrisy after Labour repeatedly criticised Rishi Sunak over his use of private planes and helicopters for domestic travel.
The plane, leased for prime ministerial travel, left Stansted airport outside London at about 6am on Monday bound for Antigua and Barbuda, where the Commonwealth heads of government summit begins on Tuesday. It carried officials and a handful of pool media reporters, but not Burnham; he and his wife were picked up at Manchester about 30 minutes later. The plane stayed on the ground for an hour before setting off via Canada for a refuelling stop.
Burnham had been in Scotland on Friday before going to Manchester to work from No 10 North that evening, his official spokesperson said. He routinely works in the city on Fridays and spends the weekend there, and his family home is in Greater Manchester.
Asked why the travel had been arranged this way and how much the extra leg cost, the spokesperson said: “Decisions related to travel are made on security and operational grounds, neither of which we comment on. We are transparent about travel costs. They will be published in the usual way.” Asked whether it represented value for money, the spokesperson said: “I’ve just set out our position, and I’ll just refer you back to that.” Asked if Burnham simply did not want the effort of returning to London, the spokesperson replied: “I don’t accept that.”
The detour leaves Burnham open to accusations of hypocrisy after Labour repeatedly criticised Rishi Sunak’s use of private planes and helicopters for domestic travel. Sunak regularly used helicopters for journeys including Southampton, Dover, the West Midlands and Essex where rail travel would have been almost as quick. Labour cancelled the £40m helicopter contract after taking office, part of what Keir Starmer’s government said was an effort to undo “14 years of rot” under the Conservatives. Labour also questioned Sunak’s use of an RAF jet to Scotland when scheduled flights were available.
The shadow Cabinet Office minister, Mike Wood, said on Monday: “Labour promised a crackdown on private jet use. Yet when it comes to Air Miles Andy, it seems to be one rule for him and another for everyone else.”
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The row reignites a political vulnerability for Labour over ministerial travel after it attacked the previous government’s use of planes and helicopters.
- The detour raises questions about the cost and environmental impact of prime ministerial travel, with Downing Street saying travel costs will be published in the usual way.
- It tests how the government balances security and operational needs with public expectations of frugality.
Background
The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting is the regular gathering of leaders from Commonwealth member states, with this year’s summit in Antigua and Barbuda. British prime ministerial travel is typically handled by a leased aircraft operating from Stansted, where a private-flight section allows extra security. Labour’s criticisms of the previous government’s travel arrangements, and its cancellation of the helicopter contract, set the backdrop to Monday’s row.
Key Perspectives
- Downing Street, via Burnham’s official spokesperson: says travel decisions are made on security and operational grounds, which it does not comment on, and that travel costs will be published in the usual way. He rejects the suggestion that Burnham simply did not want the effort of returning to London.
- Mike Wood, shadow Cabinet Office minister: says Labour promised a crackdown on private jet use, “yet when it comes to Air Miles Andy, it seems to be one rule for him and another for everyone else.”
What to Watch
- Whether the government publishes the cost of the Manchester stop when travel costs are released.
- Whether the row prompts further questions about Burnham’s pattern of working between London and Manchester.
- Whether Downing Street offers more detail on the security and operational grounds for the stop.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 11 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedDowning Street defended the Manchester stop on the flight carrying Burnham to the Caribbean summit.World news | The Guardian: “A government-chartered plane taking Andy Burnham to a Commonwealth summit in the Caribbean made a stop-off in Manchester to collect him, Downing Street has said.”
- Not in the sourcesThe person picked up in Manchester was the prime minister.World news | The Guardian: “He and his wife were picked up at Manchester about 30 minutes later.”
- SupportedThe spokesperson cited security and operational grounds, and the summary links this to a shadow minister’s criticism of Labour’s promised private-jet crackdown.World news | The Guardian: ““Decisions related to travel are made on security and operational grounds, neither of which we comment on. We are transparent about travel costs. They will be published in the usual way.” ... “Labour promised a crackdown on private jet use.””
- SupportedThe Manchester stop left Burnham open to accusations of hypocrisy after Labour repeatedly criticised Sunak’s use of private planes and helicopters for domestic travel.World news | The Guardian: “The decision, which will have been more financially and environmentally costly than if the prime minister had travelled to London, leaves him open to accusations of hypocrisy after Labour repeatedly criticised Rishi Sunak for his use of private planes and helicopters for domestic travel”
- SupportedThe plane left Stansted at about 6am on Monday for Antigua and Barbuda, carrying officials and pool reporters but not Burnham; Burnham and his wife were picked up in Manchester about 30 minutes later.World news | The Guardian: “The plane ... left Stansted airport outside London at about 6am on Monday en route to Antigua and Barbuda ... It carried officials and a handful of pool media reporters, but not Burnham. He and his wife were picked up at Manchester about 30 minutes later.”
- SupportedThe plane remained on the ground for an hour before setting off via Canada for a refuelling stop.World news | The Guardian: “The plane stayed on the ground for an hour before setting off via Canada for a refuelling stop.”
- SupportedBurnham’s official spokesperson said, “Decisions related to travel are made on security and operational grounds, neither of which we comment on. We are transparent about travel costs. They will be published in the usual way.”World news | The Guardian: “Burnham’s official spokesperson said: “Decisions related to travel are made on security and operational grounds, neither of which we comment on. We are transparent about travel costs. They will be published in the usual way.””
- SupportedWhen asked about value for money, the spokesperson said, “I’ve just set out our position, and I’ll just refer you back to that.”World news | The Guardian: “Asked if this represented value for money, the spokesperson said: “I’ve just set out our position, and I’ll just refer you back to that.””
- SupportedWhen asked if Burnham did not want the effort of returning to London, the spokesperson replied, “I don’t accept that.”World news | The Guardian: “Asked if Burnham simply did not want the effort of returning to London, he replied: “I don’t accept that.””
- SupportedBurnham had been in Scotland on Friday before going to Manchester to work from No 10 North that evening; he routinely works in the city on Fridays and spends weekends there, and his family home is in Greater Manchester.World news | The Guardian: “Burnham had been in Scotland on Friday, before going to Manchester to work from No 10 North that evening, the spokesperson said. Burnham, whose family home is in Greater Manchester, routinely works in the city on Fridays and spends the weekend there.”
- SupportedSunak regularly used helicopters for domestic journeys, including places where rail travel would have been almost as quick; Labour cancelled the £40m helicopter contract after taking office.World news | The Guardian: “As prime minister, Sunak regularly used helicopters to travel to events in places for which rail travel would have been almost as quick, including Southampton, Dover, the West Midlands and Essex. When Labour took office it cancelled the £40m helicopter contract”
- SupportedMike Wood, identified as the shadow Cabinet Office minister, said Labour had promised a crackdown on private jet use and that it seemed to be one rule for Burnham and another for everyone else.World news | The Guardian: “The shadow Cabinet Office minister, Mike Wood, said on Monday: “Labour promised a crackdown on private jet use. Yet when it comes to Air Miles Andy, it seems to be one rule for him and another for everyone else.””