I think the argument might be that we’re a relatively small nation. Anywhere he needs to get to, or would likely need to get to could be accessed by road, or train.
I think within reason yes. But if you can fit a meeting in Scotland plus a meeting on London in on the same day by air then why wouldn’t you? Personally I want my PM to be working hard day and night not sitting in cars.
Of course if we had decent fast trains up and down and side to side for the country then it would be different. But we’ll never have those 🤗.
On Tuesday, Sunak used a helicopter for an engagement in Norwich, a trip of little more than 100 miles. In May, he flew to and from Southampton to visit a pharmacy for an NHS-related announcement, a 160-mile round trip where the train takes an hour and 15 minutes each way.
We have decently fast trains to a lot of places, and he is taking the helicopter for journeys that wouldn’t be that long on the train. Plus you can actually do some work while riding the train, which is difficult in a car and pretty impossible in a helicopter.
That’s a fair point. If he can take a fast train then cool. I’m not arguing for complete helicopter travel everywhere. Just that where it makes sense he should. Obviously where it doesn’t he shouldn’t. I don’t think that’s controversial.
Maybe I misjudged the tone but it seems people are happy to travel large distances by plane helicopter only when those large distances are abroad. Why not when they are domestic too?
I take your point about over the internet meetings but in the world of politics where human interaction is key i think it is worth the hassle to travel. That being said… maybe I’ll wake up in a world where G20 is done over Zoom. What a world…
I think the argument might be that we’re a relatively small nation. Anywhere he needs to get to, or would likely need to get to could be accessed by road, or train.
I think within reason yes. But if you can fit a meeting in Scotland plus a meeting on London in on the same day by air then why wouldn’t you? Personally I want my PM to be working hard day and night not sitting in cars.
Of course if we had decent fast trains up and down and side to side for the country then it would be different. But we’ll never have those 🤗.
We have decently fast trains to a lot of places, and he is taking the helicopter for journeys that wouldn’t be that long on the train. Plus you can actually do some work while riding the train, which is difficult in a car and pretty impossible in a helicopter.
That’s a fair point. If he can take a fast train then cool. I’m not arguing for complete helicopter travel everywhere. Just that where it makes sense he should. Obviously where it doesn’t he shouldn’t. I don’t think that’s controversial.
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I look forward to the G20 Zoom summit…
No one is advocating for him to travel by train and road across the world, just when it’s reasonable to do so domestically.
And if it’s not worth the hassle it takes to get there, maybe it could be fine over the internet instead.
Maybe I misjudged the tone but it seems people are happy to travel large distances by plane helicopter only when those large distances are abroad. Why not when they are domestic too?
I take your point about over the internet meetings but in the world of politics where human interaction is key i think it is worth the hassle to travel. That being said… maybe I’ll wake up in a world where G20 is done over Zoom. What a world…
“And can we have the view of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom please… Oh!”
“Erm, I am the Prime Minister, I’m not a cat”
The cat would do a better job.