Lib Dem boss Jo Swinson branded a ‘hypocrite’ for demanding new frequent flyer tax – despite taking THIRTY-EIGHT flights last year
JO SWINSON was branded a “hypocrite” yesterday for demanding a new frequent flyer tax – despite taking THIRTY-EIGHT flights last year.
The Lib Dem leader declared a climate emergency at her party conference in Bournemouth this weekend.
But her expenses reveal she took to the skies an average of once every nine days in 2018 as she shuttled between London and her East Dunbartonshire constituency on the outskirts of Glasgow.
Taxpayers were landed with a bill for nearly £3,000.
The Libs have called for an immediate halt to all airport expansion and a new frequent flyer tax to slash carbon emissions – raising claims they will make air travel prohibitive for low-income Brits.
Under a new motion “Tackling the Climate Crisis Together” the party said the country had to reduce emissions to net zero “as fast as possible”.
And it demanded “credible early action”.
Ms Swinson should stop being a hypocrite and focus her efforts on ways to cut taxes instead of inventing new ones
Harry Fone, Taxpayers Alliance
In her speech to conference, Ms Swinson stormed: “The climate emergency is an existential threat, and only our party has the bold and detailed plan to tackle it.”
Harry Fone, grassroots campaign manager at the Taxpayers Alliance, said: “This is a classic example of a politician saying one thing and doing another.
“Another tax on flying is the last thing hard working Brits need or want when they book their holidays abroad.
“Ms Swinson should stop being a hypocrite and focus her efforts on ways to cut taxes instead of inventing new ones.”
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A spokesman for Ms Swinson told The Sun: “As an MP with a constituency 400 miles from Westminster, it is sometimes necessary for Jo to fly because of her diary commitments.
“She regularly travels on the sleeper train when that is most appropriate.”
He added: “Liberal Democrats are committed to investing in public transport to ensure quicker and more reliable services so that we can reduce the number of internal flights.”
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