James Cleverly spent £420,000 in public money on luxury jet travel

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https://www.declassifieduk.org/james-cleverly-spent-420000-in-public-money-on-luxury-jet-travel/

The UK Foreign Office chartered a jet used by billionaires and pop stars to take Cleverly and 18 members of his staff to Latin America and the Caribbean in May.

James Cleverly visits Cartagena, Colombia where he meets English language students, May 2023 (Credit:Rory Arnold / No 10 Downing Street, Flickr)
James Cleverly visits Cartagena, Colombia where he meets English language students, May 2023 (Credit:Rory Arnold / No 10 Downing Street, Flickr)

In May 2023, UK foreign secretary James Cleverly travelled to Latin America and the Caribbean in an effort to rekindle Britain’s historically close relations with the region.

Cleverly visited Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Jamaica, with the issue of climate breakdown high on the agenda.

In Chile, Cleverly declared that: “Climate change is the most urgent and obvious example” of the “rapidly increasing transnational flights threats” facing the world. 

At the UK-Caribbean Forum in Kingston, Jamaica, the foreign secretary announced additional funding for the region’s “security and climate resilience”. In Brazil, Cleverly signed “a wide-ranging climate partnership” on “Green and Inclusive Growth”. 

And in Colombia, Cleverly outlined new plans “tackling climate change by protecting the Amazon”. During a trip to the Amazon rainforest, he said: “The fate of our planet rests on what happens here”.

A ‘Succession-style jet’

Newly released Foreign Office data shows that Cleverly spent over £420,000 in public money on travel during his one-week trip to the region.

The money corresponds to the Foreign Office’s chartering of the Embraer Lineage 1000E – a “Succession-style” jet which is frequently used by billionaires and pop stars.

The jet “includes a lounge area with big-screen TV and a master suite for its main VIP, complete with a queen-size bed, private bathroom and shower”, and was used to accommodate Cleverly and 18 members of his staff.

https://www.declassifieduk.org/james-cleverly-spent-420000-in-public-money-on-luxury-jet-travel/

Continue ReadingJames Cleverly spent £420,000 in public money on luxury jet travel

Emma Thompson Chills on $200 Million Superyacht Eos Like a Millionaire Hypocrite

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https://www.autoevolution.com/news/emma-thompson-chills-on-200-million-superyacht-eos-like-a-millionaire-hypocrite-220448.html

Emma Thompson is a name that comes up often whenever there’s a larger discussion about eco-hypocrites among A-list celebrities. Just like that doctor who can’t be bothered to put out his own cigarette while he’s scolding you for not being able to kick the habit, some celebrities who get very passionate in their discourse on climate issues fail to live up to the expectations their discourse gives way to. Thompson is one of them.

Examples abound. She once flew private out of Los Angeles and into London just so she could attend an Extinction Rebellion march in the capital. Just to put this in the right light, she flew private to London to join a march on the dangers of climate change and urging us, regular folk, to ditch commercial flights to save our planet – no ifs and buts about it.

Thompson often speaks at rallies of this kind, yet she owns homes in three different countries and often jetsets from one to the other – not flying commercial, but private. She is just one of the many examples of holier-than-thou-type of stars who preach extreme measures only for show while they continue living their life as before.

This is necessary context in order to understand the fresh wave of criticism directed at her: Emma Thompson is now in Venice, where she owns a home and is an honorary citizen, vacationing onboard the Eos superyacht. Eos is an older build from luxury shipyard Lurssen that previously held the record as the world’s largest sail-assisted superyacht before Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos had Koru delivered.

Continue ReadingEmma Thompson Chills on $200 Million Superyacht Eos Like a Millionaire Hypocrite

Rishi Sunak most frequent UK flyer amoung recent PMs

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https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-66434605

Rishi Sunak was pictured boarding a Dassault Falcon 900LX before a trip to Leeds this year

Rishi Sunak has used RAF jets and helicopters for domestic flights more frequently than the UK’s previous three prime ministers, the BBC can reveal.

Ministry of Defence data show he took almost one such flight a week during his first seven months in office.

The prime minister has been accused of hypocrisy for flying short journeys domestically, given his pledges to curb planet-warming carbon emissions.

But Mr Sunak has said air travel was the “most effective use of my time”.

In total, Mr Sunak boarded 23 domestic flights on these aircraft in 187 days, which is one every eight days on average.

Rishi Sunak takes taxpayer-funded flight inside UK every eight days

Greenpeace claimed Mr Sunak will “go down in history” as failing on climate change, amid fresh concern about the Tory leader’s frequent use of high-polluting travel and approach to net zero.

Rish! ‘Biggles’ Sunak: The most effective use of your time is to make a phone call or a video conference call instead of destroying the planet like the uncaring, planet-trashing cnut we all know that you are.

Continue ReadingRishi Sunak most frequent UK flyer amoung recent PMs

COP26 News Summary day 1

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COP26: Nicola Sturgeon catches up with activist Greta Thunberg

NICOLA Sturgeon has said the “voices of young people” must be heard loudly after meeting with climate campaigners Greta Thunberg and Vanessa Nakate this morning at Cop26.

Scotland’s First Minister said the “next few days should not be comfortable for leaders, the responsibility to act must be felt”.

Sturgeon was photographed with the two young activists bumping elbows inside the blue zone at COP26, before she was due to speak on a panel about the role of states and regions in fighting climate change.

What happened at Cop26 today – day one at a glance

A summary of the main developments on the first day of the UN climate summit in Glasgow

Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior sails under Erskine Bridge

The ship had hoped to dock opposite the summit venue, but stopped at the King George V dock at Shieldhall.

Sinn Fein launches ‘green energy’ document at Cop26 to help tackle climate emergency

“The COP26 summit is an important opportunity to send a clear message on the actions that will need to be taken by governments to tackle the climate emergency,” she said.

“Today at the summit, attended by world leaders, Sinn Féin have launched a document on green energy and tackling the climate emergency.

“Just like the Covid19 pandemic, climate change doesn’t recognise borders and we need an all-Ireland approach,” Ms O’Neill added.

“We must secure a fair transition to a low carbon economy and increase support for rural communities and family farms.

Boris even manages to turn up late to the last-chance saloon John Crace

Johnson is something of a late convert to the reality of climate change. We know that and he knows that. He’s even admitted it was only when he got to Downing Street and academics walked him through the science that the penny really dropped. So you might have thought the prime minister would have chosen to play it fairly straight in welcoming everyone to Glasgow. Just thank them all for coming and make them aware of the responsibility they carry for saving the planet.

Only Boris just can’t do serious. He needs the attention. He needs the laughs. So he started what should have been a plea to world leaders to put aside their self-interest and work constructively together with a reference to James Bond. If he’d stopped at that, he might have got away with it. But Bertie Booster is compulsively needy. So the rest of his short speech was peppered with bad gags. Cows farting. Boris possibly still being prime minister in 2060 when he’s 94. Further references to not everyone being able to look like James Bond.

Boris Johnson will travel home from Cop26 by private plane

Boris Johnson is flying back from the Cop26 climate conference on a private plane rather than the train after spending two days warning world leaders to reduce their emissions.

Queen tells Cop26 in video address it’s ‘time for action’ on climate

In her message, recorded after she announced she would be unable to attend the conference due to medical advice to rest, she added: “Of course, the benefits of such actions will not be there to enjoy for all of us here today: we none of us will live forever. But we are doing this not for ourselves but for our children and our children’s children, and those who will follow in their footsteps.”

Continue ReadingCOP26 News Summary day 1