Revealed: Foreign Secretary David Lammy chartered £10,000 per hour private jet for two-day visit to Israel

For years Labour has condemned the Tories for flying around on private planes at an ‘extortionate cost’ to the taxpayer.

But now the new Foreign Secretary is the latest Labour frontbencher to hire a luxury private jet, despite the party promising to clamp down on ministers’ flights.

The Mail on Sunday can reveal that David Lammy chartered a Bombardier Global jet, which costs upwards of £10,000 per hour, for his two-day visit to Israel last week. 

A favourite choice of globetrotting pop superstar Taylor Swift, the plane flew Mr Lammy and Israeli ambassador Tzipi Hotovely. 

It comes just a week after Mr Lammy used the Government’s private Airbus A321 to fly from London to Germany, then to Poland and on to Sweden.

Sir Keir Starmer came under fire for flying in an Airbus to watch England in the Euros final on July 14. 

He and Defence Secretary John Healey also reportedly took separate RAF flights to Washington DC which are likely to have cost more than £60,000 each.

Labour previously criticised the Tory government for taking too many flights at ‘extortionate cost’. 

The ministerial code states that ‘non-scheduled flights’ can be used by ministers only ‘when a scheduled service is not available, or when it is essential to travel’.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: ‘All ministerial travel is undertaken using the most efficient and cost-effective travel arrangements. 

'Travel plans . . . are decided with consideration of the best use of a minister’s time and in the interests of the taxpayer.’