Rishi Sunak takes £1,000-an-hour helicopter instead of 75 minute train to photo-op

Prime minister accused of being out of touch with ordinary people

Rishi Sunak on Tuesday used a £1,000-an-hour taxpayer-funded helicopter to get to a photo-op he could have traveled to in 75 minutes by train.

The prime minister used the morning to visit Southampton in the wake of his party's local election defeat, where he had his photograph taken getting his blood pressure tested at a pharmacy.

The south coast city is connected to London by fast and frequent express trains from London Waterloo, which take an hour and 15 minutes – but the PM instead chose to travel by helicopter.

An AugustaWestland AW109 aircraft, based at RAF Northolt, travelled to Westminster to pick up Mr Sunak from Wellington Barracks near Downing Street before transporting him to Southampton Airport.

The helicopter model has an estimated operating cost of over £1,000 an hour – whereas the train from Waterloo, also just minutes from Mr Sunak's doorstep, costs £53 for a walk-up standard ticket, or £88.40 in first class.

Flight records first reported by the Daily Mirror show the PM's helicopter leaving the RAF airbase at 8:53am before arriving in Westminster and then proceeding onto the south coast airport, on the outskirts of Southampton, at 9:47am.

An 8:35am train from Waterloo could have taken Mr Sunak to the centre of the port city by 9:50am.

Mr Sunak has been previously criticised for his use of exclusive short-haul flights, including after he took a private jet to Scotland to launch environmental tax breaks.

Downing Street has previously said Mr Sunak's travel choices are based on the “most effective use of his time”.

Also speaking on Tuesday Labour leader Keir Starmer said Mr Sunak's wealthy background meant he did not understand the cost of living crisis.

"If you compare the Prime Minister and me: When I was growing up we couldn't pay our bills and our phone was cut off and I know the anxiety and the shame it has for families, so I know what people are going through. He's a wealthy man - that's good, I don't knock that," he said.

"But it means that he doesn't understand, he doesn't know the anxiety, that people are going through."

But speaking in Southampton after the loss of around 1,000 Tory councillors on Thursday, Mr Sunak said the results were "disappointing" but stood by the "five priorities" that have guided his premiership since the start of the year.

"I know that the country wants us to focus on their priorities. I have set out five very clear priorities - to halve inflation, to grow the economy, reduce debt, cut waiting lists and stop the boats," he added.