The Labour government has confirmed the scrapping of the planned £40 million renewal of the contract for what they are calling Rishi Sunak’s VIP helicopter service.
The Ministry of Defence confirmed that it will not be renewing the helicopter service, used extensively by Rishi Sunak and other Ministers during their time in power.
Labour says that the Tory helicopter usage became “a symbol of their government: grossly wasteful, head in the clouds, and totally out of touch with the problems facing the rest of the country.”
The announcement comes after reports last year that the former Prime Minister personally intervened to save the VIP helicopter service and renew the contract for its delivery. The contract was reviewed by Labour’s new Defence Secretary, John Healey, and it has now been confirmed that it will not be renewed at the end of this year.
During his time as Prime Minister there was repeated criticism of Rishi Sunak’s use of the taxpayer-funded luxury aircraft for short-haul trips that could have been taken by road or train. Ben Wallace’s replacement, Grant Shapps, was also criticised for regularly being picked up or dropped off by the VIP helicopter near his constituency home.
Sunak’s trips by helicopter included a visit to Southampton in May 2023 to film interviews in a pharmacy, a journey that would have taken an hour and 15 minutes by train. A month later, he used the VIP service to travel from London to Dover for a speech on small boat crossings, a journey that can be done in just over an hour from St Pancras.
Among other journeys, he subsequently used the VIP helicopter service to take him to photo opportunities at a housing project in Norwich last August, a levelling-up project in Clacton in October, and a school in Lincolnshire last November.
A Labour spokesperson said, commenting on the scrapping of Sunak’s VIP helicopter service, said:
“The Tories’ VIP helicopter service became a symbol of their government: grossly wasteful, head in the clouds, and totally out of touch with the problems facing the rest of the country.
“Given the sacrifices the British people will have to make as a result of the last government, it’s only right that this service is brought to an end. Our new government is putting politics back in the service of working people and getting a grip of the public finances.
“It tells you everything that, on top of the £22 billion black hole that the Tories were blowing in the public finances, Rishi Sunak’s priority was keeping his VIP helicopter service.
“The Conservatives left behind an unforgivable inheritance. This is just one step towards showing the British people that, with Labour, they have a government that will deliver on our promise of change and fix the foundations of our economy.”
Labour government scraps Sunak’s vanity VIP helicopter service
