Keir Starmer Blasted as His Foreign Trips Cost Taxpayers £700K in Just Three Months as PM”

David Lammy’s flights from July to September cost over £900,000, which is similar to the expenses of his predecessors, David Cameron and James Cleverly, according to a government source. During the same period, Sir Keir Starmer’s international trips as Prime Minister cost British taxpayers £700,000 in his first three months in office.

Specifically, the Labour leader’s foreign flights alone amounted to £161,000, which is more than the combined total spent on flights by his Conservative predecessors—Rishi Sunak, Boris Johnson, and Liz Truss—during their early months as Prime Minister.

Reports from the Mail on Sunday reveal that Starmer has spent more time abroad in his first six months as Prime Minister compared to the three leaders before him. This has led to criticism and even earned him the nickname “Never Here Keir.

Tory MP Paul Holmes accused the Labour Party of hypocrisy, pointing out their previous criticism of flight expenses while in opposition. Luke Tryl from the polling company More in Common also noted that Starmer has not effectively explained how his international trips benefit people in the UK.

Government records show that one of Starmer’s most expensive trips was a flight to New York for the UN General Assembly, costing £236,020—nearly double the amount spent on Liz Truss’s trip to the same event two years earlier.

Additionally, Starmer faced accusations of hypocrisy when he traveled to Germany with a family member on a private jet to watch the Euro 2024 final. This was particularly controversial given his previous criticism of Rishi Sunak for using private jets.

Between July and September, Starmer’s flights cost taxpayers £697,198. These included trips to Paris for the Olympics, Washington DC for a NATO summit, and visits to Rome, Berlin, and Dublin. In comparison, the combined flight costs for Sunak, Johnson, and Truss during a similar period totaled £536,085.

Luke Tryl highlighted that people in focus groups have expressed concerns about Starmer frequently being abroad, adding that the Prime Minister has not convincingly communicated how these trips benefit the UK. A Downing Street source defended the travel, stating that the Prime Minister and his Cabinet have been working hard to rebuild diplomatic relationships damaged during the Conservative Party’s 14 years in power, which they claim weakened Britain’s global influence and made the country more vulnerable.

A Foreign Office spokesperson also defended the expenses, emphasizing that the Foreign Secretary’s role requires international travel to advance the UK’s interests. They added that efforts are made to ensure cost-effective travel and deliver value for taxpayers.

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