Boris Johnson forked out almost £800,000 ($1.1 million) in taxpayer money to have a union flag painted on the prime minister’s plane, according to a UK report.
During Johnson’s time at 10, Downing Street, the Airbus A321, leased by the British government from charter firm Titan Airways, was specifically spiffed up for the PM, a Freedom of Information request by the Taxpayers’ Alliance has revealed. The Cabinet Office has been accused of attempting to cover up the cost of painting the jet's fuselage and tail.
After responding to the FOI request, the Cabinet Office stated:
“The total cost of painting the aircraft in question with the Union Jack was £783,940. The branding of this aircraft with the Union Flag was an intentional Government policy to project the role of the United Kingdom on the international stage.”
After the revelation, TaxPayers' Alliance campaign manager Conor Holohan told the media:
“Taxpayers will be livid at the sky high cost of this paint job. Ministers should rein in their love of luxury.”
Earlier, Boris Johnson in his role as PM faced backlash after information surfaced in 2020 that his government had spent £900,000 just to give the Airbus A330, known in the Royal Air Force (RAF) as the Voyager jet, a new coat of spray paint. The jet, originally painted a somber military grey, was given a new lease of life using vibrant red, white, and blue paint - the colors of the national flag of the United Kingdom.
Boris Johnson exited Downing Street last September amid a blaze of media scandals. They ranged from allegations of corruption over funds to refurbish his Downing Street residence, to the Owen Paterson lobbying scandal, and the notorious Partygate row. However, it was finally the groping allegations against his deputy chief whip Chris Pincher that became the proverbial last straw.
A final report into the so-called Partygate - Boris Johnson's conduct over after-hours partying by Downing Street staff during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns of 2020 and 2021 - was released earlier in June. It accused Johnson of deliberately misleading Parliament when he stated that he knew of no breaches of temporary COVID-19 lockdown laws at Number 10, where staff had indulged in alcoholic drinks at their workplace when pubs and restaurants were closed across the country. The report also said that Johnson would have been suspended if he had not already announced he was standing down as MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip earlier, after getting a glimpse of an early copy of the report.