Rishi Sunak was snapped disembarking from a private helicopter on his return from Devon and Cornwall – where he’d gushed about how wonderful train travel is.
The prime minister took a sleeper train to Penzance on Wednesday with a heavy media presence at London Paddington to snap the significant moment.
He told broadcasters: “The train was great, I’ve been taking lots of pictures and videos, sending them back to my kids and saying we’ll be back here as a family at some point. I’m excited to be out and about in Cornwall and heading up to Devon later today.”
Pictures of Sunak boarding the train in London were quick to make the rounds on social media, with several people teasing the PM over his unconventional transport choice.
And now, pictures leaked in The Mirror show the Prime Minister’s armoured Audi car and police escort parked up at London’s Battersea Heliport at around 8pm, awaiting his arrival.
A train from Honiton to London takes just three hours and costs around £55 for a standard seat, with trains departing up until 9pm at night which is long after the PM left Devon.
It’s not the first time Sunak has decided to take to the air during this general election campaign.
He rented an Eastern Airways Jetstream 41 turboprop plane for a trip around the country on the first day of campaigning last week.
Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho was confronted over whether it was “a good look” for the PM to zip around the country in the sky for brief campaign visits.
But she dismissed the question and in a bizarre defence said Mr Sunak travelling by private jet was not going to “make a massive difference when it comes to carbon emissions”.
“But also we need to make sure we are speaking to people in the country, this is a democracy, I think it’s right that the prime minister goes and talks to people, particularly when we are in such uncertain times.” Ms Coutinho was pressed on whether he has to use a private jet. “That’s not going to make a massive difference when it comes to carbon emissions, let’s be serious,” she replied.
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