Boris Johnson took a private jet from the Cop26 climate summit to London, reportedly to have dinner with pals from his days as a journalist.
On Tuesday the prime minister left the conference in Glasgow at 6:20pm and arrived at Stansted at 7:16pm, the Mirror reported. Johnson then apparently headed to the private men-only Garrick Club for a dinner for former Daily Telegraph journalists, including the paper’s former editor Charles Moore. Last year, Johnson appointed Moore as a peer in the House of Lords.
The criticism of Johnson’s jet comes amid fresh controversy for the Conservative party after an extraordinary U-turn over controversial plans to overhaul the disciplinary process for MPs and review a senior Tory’s alleged breach of lobbying rules following widespread outrage.
The fashion of Johnson’s exit from Cop26 was criticised as “staggering hypocrisy” by Labour chair Anneliese Dodds, after the prime minister opened the summit by imploring delegates to stop “quilting the Earth in an invisible and suffocating blanket of CO2”.
Dodds said: “This is staggering hypocrisy from the prime minister. After warning world leaders it’s one minute to midnight to prevent climate catastrophe, Boris Johnson clocked off from Cop26, jumped in his private jet and flew down to London for dinner at a gentleman’s club with a self-confessed climate change sceptic.
“It seems that when it comes to taking action to tackle the climate crisis, there’s one rule for the Conservatives and another rule for the rest of the world.”
People took to Twitter to share their thoughts on the prime minister’s mode of transport.
Some slammed him, with Twitter user Hamish branding him a “hypocrite”, adding: “Get a mask on while you’re at it.”
You took a plane to Scotland. Hypocrite. Get a mask on while you’re at it.
— Hamish (@HamieJones) November 3, 2021
The journey that began with Boris Johnson backing Dominic Cummings over his trips to Durham and Barnard Castle reached a destination today. The rules never apply to them.
— Jo Maugham (@JolyonMaugham) November 3, 2021
A plane from Glasgow for a reunion Telegraph dinner? ‘One rule for them’ #TorySleaze
— c.sheff (@ces111) November 3, 2021
Boris Johnson be like ‘yeah I care about climate’ then flies to London on a private plane to attend a boy’s club funded by daddy’s money
— Ella | DW spoilers (@ellasrhapsody) November 4, 2021
Boris Johnson travelled from a climate conference in Glasgow to London on a private plane so that he could go to dinner at an all male private members club with former colleagues from the Daily Telegraph.
— Larry the Cat (@Number10cat) November 3, 2021
That’s got to be a full house in Tory bingo! https://t.co/vzDKhDsx5E
Some, however, seemed to understand why Johnson might have opted to fly to London.
Twitter user Caroline said: “One plane journey is not going to bring the planet down”.
Boris Johnson is entitled to fly back on a plane he is a busy man. Takes hours on the train
— Caroline Perkins (@carolinefperki1) November 4, 2021
The media has to pick on the stupidest thing.
Look at China n Russia
One plane journey is not going to bring the planet down.
Stupid.........
Daily Mail get a grip
To be fair,the plane is in Glasgow and will have to be flown back to London so he might as well be on it.
— Beth King (@bethking61) November 2, 2021
A Downing St source said Johnson had always been due to leave Glasgow on Tuesday evening, as the element of the summit involving world leaders drew to a close.
Johnson’s flight out of Glasgow was confirmed by the prime minister’s official spokesman on Monday.
Pressed on why the prime minister could not go by train for a journey within the UK, the spokesman said it was important he was able to travel around the country while facing “significant time constraints”.
In a statement to indy100, a No 10 spokesperson said: “All travel decisions are made with consideration for security and time restraints. The prime minister returned on Tuesday night from four days of engagements in Rome and Glasgow, ahead of updating Parliament on the important commitments secured both at the G20 and Cop26.
“The prime minister travelled on one of the most carbon-efficient planes of its size in the world, using the most sustainable aviation fuel possible. The UK will be offsetting all carbon emissions associated with running COP26 including travel.”
Either way, we’re sure he knows it’s not a good look to jet off from a climate summit on a private plane...
