Downing Street has said it will not comment on speculative figures after a flight to Manchester to pick up Andy Burnham was reported to have cost £20,000.
The flight took off from London Stansted at around 6am on Monday morning (November 2) for Antigua and Barbuda ahead of the Commonwealth leaders' summit, but the Prime Minister was not on board with UK delegates. Mr Burnham was then collected at Manchester along with his wife, Marie-France van Heel, after the flight's 34-minute journey, according to reports.
Flight route and cost estimates
Former prime minister Gordon Brown was also on the Government plane. The Guido Fawkes website estimated the cost of the Stansted-Manchester flight as £20,000.
The Prime Minister's spokesperson defended the decision and said security, operational reasons and value for money for the taxpayer were all considerations when deciding on how the Prime Minister travels.
Official response and criticism
The spokesperson said: "The Prime Minister's travel arrangements are made on the basis of security, operational requirements, and value for money for the taxpayer."
"The Prime Minister's travel arrangements reflect where he was carrying out official government business at the end of last week. He spent the day in Scotland on Friday, returned to Manchester to work from Number 10 North on Friday evening."
No 10 would not be drawn on why the Prime Minister could not have travelled back to London over the weekend in order to fly from Stansted. The environmental cost of flying via Manchester does not appear to have been one of the factors considered.
"I'm not going to comment on speculative figures," the spokesman said. "Travel costs will be published in the usual way."
Shadow Cabinet Office minister Mike Wood said: "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."
Commonwealth summit agenda
Mr Burnham arrived in Saint John's for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting on Monday. Over the coming days, he will set out plans for a 'debt reset' aimed at helping Commonwealth countries grappling with repayments, as he promises Britain will play a leading role in a 'new era' for the group of nations.
Speaking at the leaders' summit taking place in the Caribbean on Tuesday, the Prime Minister will argue work to support member states amid rising global interest rate costs must include non-G7 donors and the private sector. He will begin discussions with other leaders about the prospect of offering a formal apology for the UK's role in the slave trade, after opening the door to a 'structured dialogue' about its legacy.
The Prime Minister also wants to look at ways of helping poorer countries repay debt over a longer period and with better interest rates, which Downing Street said he would outline on Tuesday.
