Labour’s Reeves flies in business class...then tries to hide evidence
SHADOW Chancellor Rachel Reeves was yesterday accused of hypocrisy after taking a flight to America and then appearing to try to hide the fact that she travelled in business class.
She accidentally revealed she was flying in the luxury cabin in an embarrassing social media blunder.
Ahead of a speech in Washington DC tomorrow, in which she will set out Labour’s economic vision for Britain’s future, Ms Reeves posted a photo of her passport and boarding pass on Twitter.
Eagle-eyed followers spotted that her boarding pass for Sunday’s flight revealed her seat number, which showed Ms Reeves would have been living the high life in British Airways’ Club World cabin – the airline’s equivalent of business class.
BA’s Club World seats sell for up to £8,000 a flight – far more than the prices in economy class.
The Shadow Chancellor soon spotted her social media mistake and was quick to delete her post then re-share it with the seat number blurred out.
She has since deleted the blurred snap as well.
Ms Reeves’s first port of call in the US was a swanky New York club, where she enjoyed a private dinner
‘Labour claim they want to make a fresh start of it all, but they are still the same old hypocrites’
with US President Joe Biden’s top pollster John Anzalone.
He helped the Democrats to hone their messaging in key swing states at the 2020 US election.
Last night Tory MP Brendan ClarkeSmith quipped, using the introductory words to the song New York, New York: “Start spreading the news…
“When it comes to luxury travel, Labour still expect to be top of the list. It’s a case of ‘Do as I say, not as I do’. While they claim they want to make a brand new start of it all, when it comes down to it they are still the same old hypocrites they’ve always been.”
Another Conservative Party source joked about the flight path: “Naturally, a Labour politician would always turn left.” According to the BA website, Ms Reeves’s ticket entitled her to a spacious seat that converted into a bed, dedicated check-in and access to private lounges, fine food and drink and luxurious bedding.
Her seat was reportedly paid for by a Labour Party donor, so will appear on the MPs’ Register of Interests.
But a Government source said there was “a depressing irony that while Reeves sits in seat 3K, her tax and spending plans would cost each household that same amount”.
They added: “To be fair, Reeves has always said she’s pro-business.”
Her post led to Labour being accused of hypocrisy. In March, the party attacked Government ministers for spending taxpayer cash on fivestar hotels during foreign trips.
At the time, Labour’s Deputy Leader Angela Rayner said: “Conservative ministers once again reach into the pockets of taxpayers to dine out on a five-star luxury lifestyle while families up and down the country are sick with anxiety about whether their pay cheque will cover the weekly shop.”
The Labour Party said: “Rachel Reeves is visiting the US to promote Labour’s economic plans for the future, strengthen our relationships and rebuild confidence in the UK after the Conservatives’ catastrophic economic crash last autumn.”