Rishi Sunak travelled by helicopter to defend the government’s ‘green credentials’ today following an easing of rules around water pollution.
The journey to a Taylor Wimpey housing development in Norwich, which takes around one hour and 45 minutes by train, is another example of the prime minister’s growing dependence on air travel.
The prime minister flew from London to join housing secretary Michael Gove to announce a change to planning regulations which will see rules to prevent water pollution scrapped as part of efforts to ease the housing crisis.
The move will come as a relief to major developers who argue the rules as they stand have resulted in as many as 120,000 new homes being put on hold.
But the move has sparked fury among environmental campaigners who argue the plans will only exacerbate current water pollution in light of the current dumping of raw sewage into rivers and seas.
Downing Street explained the journey was necessary as Sunak was due to meet with Kuwait’s crown prince later on Tuesday.
In May, Sunak used a helicopter for a return trip to Southampton to visit a pharmacy for an announcement relating to the NHS – a train would have taken just under one hour and 15 minutes, the Guardian reports.
A month later, he used an RAF helicopter to travel from London to Dover for a speech on small boat crossings – a journey that can take as little as an hour on high-speed trains.
He was also criticised for using a helicopter to travel to a Tory party dinner in Wales costing more than £10,000.
In July, a Labour Party source told the Sunday Mirror: “It’s ironic that the prime minister insists on this form of travel when mortgages are sky-high thanks to choices the Tories made.
“Working people are being walloped by his failure every single day, but Rishi Sunak continues to have his head in the clouds.”
Related: Fury as Michael Gove rips up rulebook on water pollution