Sunak takes 28-minute flight despite criticism for jetting around Britain

Rishi Sunak defied critics to take a 28-minute flight across England after coming under fire for shunning trains to travel by jet from London to Blackpool. Labour accused

Mr Sunak of “jetting around the country on taxpayers’ money like an A-list celeb” and making a “mockery” of his environmental strategy with the short flights on

Thursday. First the Prime Minister flew for 41 minutes on an RAF jet from Northolt to Blackpool to start a series of visits in northern England linked to an announcement on

new levelling up funding. Rishi Sunak’s expensive private jet habit is costing the environment and the taxpayer dear. Instead of catching the train like the rest of us, he’s

swanning around like a washed-up A-lister courtesy of the publicDeputy Labour leader Angela Rayner Despite the criticism, flight records showed he went on to make a

28-minute trip from Blackpool to Teesside International Airport in Darlington. They were the latest in a series of short trips by air for the Prime Minister, having going by

plane to both Leeds and Scotland last week. Downing Street defended flying as making “the best use of his time”, and Mr Sunak said he had to be as “effective as

possible”. A train journey from London Euston to Blackpool takes less than three hours, with a single fare coming in at £73.40, or £189.80 to travel during peak hours. First

class could cost £257. Disruption and delays hit earlier services on Thursday. The 115-mile journey between Blackpool and Darlington would take little more than two

hours in a car, but poor public transport links mean by train it is closer to three-and-a-half hours and can require between one and three changes.