Ed Miliband has been accused of ‘rank hypocrisy’ following revelations about his department’s flying habits – just as he goes on manoeuvres to try to succeed Sir Keir Starmer as Prime Minister.
Flight logs obtained by The Mail on Sunday show the Energy Secretary’s ministers boarded 24 domestic flights in under a year, including journeys such as Bristol to Glasgow which can be made for £40 by train.
Mr Miliband, who has boasted about how he defied the PM’s bids to sack him in this month’s reshuffle, has led the Government’s drive to impose crippling Net Zero policies on already struggling businesses.
‘Red Ed’ has said he would like to end domestic flights ‘as much as we possibly can’ and has advocated for others to avoid air travel in favour of greener alternatives.
When in government, the Tories came under fire from Labour for using government jets to fly around the country.
Labour has also hiked air passenger duty, which will cost passengers £555 million a year, according to fine print in the Government’s own economic analysis.
Tory transport spokesman Richard Holden said: ‘As Labour ministers treat jets like taxis, passengers are crammed on expensive trains and paying more and more for their summer holidays.’
And Tory energy spokesman Claire Coutinho said: ‘When it comes to rank hypocrisy, this government is flying high.’
Ed Miliband (pictured last year) has been accused of ‘rank hypocrisy’ following revelations about his department’s flying habits
But a Government spokesman said: ‘All Government ministerial travel is undertaken using the most efficient and cost-effective travel arrangements’.
Separate analysis meanwhile shows Mr Miliband’s international travel cost taxpayers at least £62,712 during his first six months in office.
During the reshuffle, Mr Miliband is also said to have refused to ‘allow’ the PM to sack his colleague Miatta Fahnbulleh, who was instead moved to another department.
It fanned suspicions that the former leader is trying to build an alternative power base in the party, but his spokesman called this ‘nonsense’.
Labour accused of ‘driving British car production into extinction’
Labour was last night accused of ‘driving British car production into extinction’ over controversial electric vehicle subsidies.
The £650million electric car grant scheme has been spent entirely on subsidising cars made abroad.
Despite Britain’s car industry employing almost 800,000 people, taxpayers’ money is being handed out to support jobs making cars in Asia and Europe.
The scheme was put in place by Labour this summer to ‘slash electric car prices’ as part of their plans to phase out petrol and diesel cars by 2030.
But every single car eligible for the grant is made overseas.
Even those with UK factories, such as Nissan and Toyota, are using British funds to make cars abroad.
For example, production for the Nissan Ariya will be ramped up in its Wuhan factory in China, rather than Sunderland.
Tory transport spokesman Richard Holden said: ‘Under Labour, it’s Tokyo and Turin that get the investment while Britain is dumped in the scrapyard.’
The £650million electric car grant scheme has been spent entirely on subsidising cars made abroad. Pictured: File photo
