Downing Street insisted the “sole reason” for the flight was to transport Johnson and staff behind government business. The Prime Minister inspects a pumpkin (Justin Tallis/PA) / PA Wire The visit came ahead of the Tiverton and Honiton by-election in Devon on June 23.
READ MORE
Triggered by the resignation of the Tory MP caught watching porn in the Commons, the defeat in the former Lib Dem stronghold was a major blow for Mr Johnson. The government aircraft was sent from London to Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose, near Helston, on the morning of Monday June 13, as first reported by the Sunday Mirror. Last Friday, Mr Johnson went to the Royal Cornwall Show, where he visited the cattle and sheep tents and spoke to local traders. Then, on the day of the flight, he went to the South of England farms in Hayle, where he was photographed driving a tractor, cutting a courgette and weighing broccoli. A No 10 spokesman said: “All travel decisions are made with safety and time constraints in mind. “The Prime Minister is accompanied on government business by a delegation of staff, which is considered as part of ensuring value for money for taxpayers. “That was the sole reason why the plane was used to transport the prime minister and his staff back from this particular visit.” The use of the jet not only raised questions about environmental issues but also how its use was justified under the ministerial code. “Ministers must ensure that they always make effective and cost-effective travel arrangements,” the Regulations state. “Official transport should not normally be used for travel arrangements arising from parties or private business unless justified by security reasons.” Family members are allowed to accompany ministers on trips “provided it is clearly in the public interest”. Richard Foord, the Lib Dem who overturned a 24,000 Tory majority to win Tiverton and Honiton, said: “Johnson returning from Cornwall after a campaign trip tells you all you need to know about how he deals with high offices. “While families accept unfair tax rises, Johnson flies across the country at the expense of the environment and British taxpayers.” The same plane was used for Mr Johnson’s diplomatic visit to Rwanda, Germany and Spain. During the G7 summit at Schloss Elmau, Prime Minister and Canadian Justin Trudeau compared the relative sizes of their jets. Johnson said he had seen “Canada Force One” on the tarmac, and Trudeau joked that the prime minister’s plane was bigger. “Very modest” was how Mr Johnson described his own jet.
