Burnham blasted for '£20k VIP jet detour' as 'PM uses state plane 'like an Uber'

Prime Minister Andy Burnham faced criticism after reports said the Government’s VIP Airbus A321 was diverted to Manchester to pick him up, with rivals calling it an “Uber-like” use of the state jet. Conservative MP Neil O’Brien and Tory MP Mike Wood joined the backlash, while Josh O’Connell of the TaxPayers’ Alliance said flight costs should be kept to a minimum and criticized politicians who, in his view, levy taxes while flying privately. The aircraft departed London Stansted around 6am, reportedly collected Burnham and his wife, Marie‑France van Heel, after about a 34-minute flight, then waited roughly an hour before continuing to a refueling stop in Canada and then to Antigua for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.