UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak travelled from London to Southampton and back via helicopter, saving more than an hour compared to taking the train. The Guardian reported that this is just the most recent illustration of Mr Sunak’s love for short-distance air travel, as he has already come under fire for using taxpayer money to fly across the nation.
To promote one of his health measures, the prime minister flew in a chopper to a pharmacy in Southampton. Downing Street confirmed the flight was funded by taxpayers’ money but defended the move.
The Guardian said that instead of taking a train from the Waterloo station for the 160-mile (257 kilometres) round trip, which would have cost 30 pounds (Rs 3,105), Mr Sunak opted to travel by air. The outlet said a flight on the same route would have cost 6,000 pounds (Rs 6.21 lakh).
The use of a helicopter is probably going to increase the general public’s opinion that the UK Prime Minister, who has a net worth of 730 million pounds (about Rs. 7,556 crore), is disconnected from everyday concerns.
According to Mr Sunak’s spokeswoman, there is “a lot of pressure” on him as a result of his decision to take the helicopter rather than the train.