World
LONDRES Downing Street defends Manchester stop to pick up Andy Burnham before Caribbean summit
The UK government plane left Stansted and added a leg to collect the prime minister before flying to Antigua and Barbuda. The decision drew criticism over cost and environmental impact.
Downing Street defended the decision to have the UK government’s official plane stop in Manchester to collect Prime Minister Andy Burnham before departing for the Commonwealth heads of government summit in Antigua and Barbuda.
According to The Guardian and the BBC, the aircraft took off from Stansted Airport near London on Monday morning without Burnham on board. About half an hour later it landed in Manchester to pick him up and then continued toward the Caribbean, with a refuelling stop in Canada, according to The Guardian.
The BBC reported that the aircraft was an Airbus A321neo with the registration G-GBNI, regularly used by British prime ministers and royals for overseas travel. Citing flight-tracking data, it said the Stansted-to-Manchester leg lasted about 35 minutes and that the plane remained on the ground for around an hour and a half before departing again for St John’s.
The official explanation was that the travel arrangements were based on security and operational considerations. The Guardian cited Burnham’s spokesperson as saying those matters are not usually discussed and that the costs will be published through the usual transparency process. The BBC added that Downing Street said cost and operational requirements were also taken into account.
Under the official account cited by both outlets, Burnham had been in Scotland on Friday and then returned to Manchester to work from No 10 North. The Guardian added that he routinely works there on Fridays and spends the weekend in the city because his family home is in Greater Manchester.
The stop prompted questions about value for money, convenience and environmental impact, while also exposing Burnham to accusations of political inconsistency. The Guardian noted that Labour had previously attacked Rishi Sunak over his use of private planes and helicopters for domestic travel. It also said Keir Starmer’s government scrapped a £40m helicopter contract after taking office, presenting the move as part of a broader break with Conservative-era practices.
Conservative figures also attacked the decision. The Guardian cited shadow Cabinet Office minister Mike Wood, who accused Labour of applying different standards when Burnham was involved. The BBC, meanwhile, reported criticism from Conservative MP Neil O’Brien focused on taxpayer money and jet fuel.
The precise cost of the extra leg was not disclosed. According to the BBC, the official transparency data on the aircraft is released quarterly and does not yet include these trips. It also noted that from April to June 2026 then prime minister Keir Starmer made four round trips on the jet, including a £121,000 trip to Armenia and a £39,000 trip to Paris.
Sources
About this piece. Written by El Notero with AI assistance, from reporting published by the outlet cited above. El Notero did no original reporting on this story.
