Blair accused of using RAF planes as private taxi service [View All]

Blair accused of using RAF planes as private taxi service

Sam Jones
Wednesday April 12, 2006
The Guardian

The first detailed disclosure of government air travel has revealed that Tony Blair has used RAF planes of the Queen's Flight a total of 677 times since 1997.

The figure was released by the Ministry of Defence under the Freedom of Information Act, and put the cost of the prime minister's RAF flights at £1.22m. A total of £3.06m was spent on government flights between 2002 and 2004.

Although the Conservatives were quick to accuse Mr Blair and his cabinet colleagues of exploiting the royal squadron facility, the government claimed it had been far more frugal than its Tory predecessor. "I think most people will be astonished at the way ministers seem to be using the Queen's Flight as a private taxi service," said the shadow transport secretary, Chris Grayling.

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A spokesman for No 10 dismissed the claim, saying flights were used only for government business and when they were was the most efficient way to travel; the former Tory prime ministers Margaret Thatcher and John Major had used RAF flights for holiday travel - a practice Mr Blair had abandoned: "In fact, Tony Blair is the first prime minister in recent years to use commercial flights, having done so for his holidays since 2000, other than one occasion where security advice was to the contrary."

http://politics.guardian.co.uk/labour/story/0,,1752195,00.html