United Kingdom plans to provide jet for David Cameron, other ministers

David Cameron and senior ministers are to get their own dedicated official jet at a cost of almost £10m, it has been announced.

The details of the new arrangements are expected to come at the strategic defence and security review on Monday.

Unlike its U.S. counterpart, the new aircraft won’t be luxurious and it’ll save £775,000 ($1.18 million) that is normally spent on chartering private flights each year. This is based on the cost of Downing Street’s flights as it will avoid the use of costly charter flights.

The decision, part of a long-term defence spending review, comes as finance minister George Osborne prepares to set out a fresh round of spending cuts next Wednesday in a bid to eliminate the budget deficit. It goes without saying that there will be strong criticisms from various quarters.

“It’s five years since David Cameron said he’d cut his travel costs by 25 per cent, so any attempt to reduce them is already long overdue”. He says the plane idea is “another step towards a governing class cut off from the people” even if it “may well be true” that it will save money.

“We have made a decision to adapt one of our existing Voyager aircraft so that, in addition to its primary air tanking role, it can transport Ministers and it will also be available for the royal family to use”, the spokesperson said.

It will draw inevitable comparisons with Tony Blair’s plans for a prime ministerial jet – dubbed Blair Force One – which was ultimately blocked by Gordon Brown.

“We have been looking at ways to make better use of the RAF (Royal Air Force) fleet to transport senior ministers and consequently deliver savings for taxpayers”, she said. “This is about saving taxpayers’ money”.

An RAF Voyager A330 air-to-air refuelling plane is to be refitted for official use, at a cost of around £10m.

No 10 had to pay £100,000 to hire an aircraft at short notice to take Mr Cameron and members of the Royal Family to the funeral of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia earlier this year. It would be available for refuelling when it wasn’t in use.

It will also have a secure communications system and be repainted with Government branding.

The British Prime Minister is the only leader of a G20 nation who does not have an aircraft.