Burnham blasted for '£20k VIP jet detour' as 'PM uses state plane 'like an Uber'

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has come under fire after it emerged the Government’s Airbus A321 diverted to Manchester for the sole purpose of collecting him. Rivals and public spending campaigners have raged about him using the multi-million-pound state jet “like an Uber”. Conservative MP Neil O'Brien slammed the PM's decision to be picked up in Manchester in a post on X. He wrote: “YOU have to pay through the nose for energy and fuel to pursue their Net Zero obsession .”

He added: “LABOUR get to waste taxpayers money and jet fuel so they can posture. He lectures and imposes massive green taxes on the rest of us but then uses a massive jet as the world’s most expensive Uber.” Tory MP Mike Wood also joined the chorus of criticism, saying: “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.” Meanwhile, Josh O’Connell, the chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said during an interview on GB News today: “Costs should be kept to a minimum for the PM’s flights.

What’s worse is eco-obsessed politicians putting up taxes on holiday makers one minute, while taking a private plane the next. “The British PM is of course entitled to fly overseas, but shouldn’t make it harder for families to do the same.” The Government’s VIP Airbus A321 took off from London Stansted at around 6am today, carrying senior officials and delegates. However, Burnham reportedly wasn’t on board. Instead, the aircraft flew roughly 34 minutes north to Manchester Airport, where it collected the Prime Minister and his wife, Marie‑France van Heel.

The plane then sat on the ground in Manchester for about an hour before continuing on its route to a refuelling stop in Canada before reaching its final destination: Antigua, for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. Political website Guido Fawkes estimated the short domestic detour alone cost around £20,000 in extra fuel and operating costs. The reason for the Manchester pick-up is understood to be linked to Burnham’s “No. 10 North” push, under which he has insisted on spending at least one day a week working from new Government offices in Manchester rather than being based in London full-time.

Because he was in the North at the end of last week, the flight was routed to meet him there. Downing Street has defended the arrangements, insisting the Manchester stop was agreed after taking account of security requirements, operational considerations and “value for money”, given the wider delegation was travelling to the same summit. For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters .