Around the world with our ministers
FOR more than a year, Britons have had to miss seeing their loved ones abroad due to the Covid pandemic.
The ever-changing travel rules have also seen families lose out on thousands as holidays were cancelled.
Despite failing to implement a strict border policy when the pandemic unfolded last year, ministers have insisted that recent measures were vital to avoid spreading variants.
But at the same time, ministers were often jetting overseas themselves at the taxpayers’ expense.
Using an exemption afforded to crown servants, they did not have to quarantine on their return to the UK. In a further twist, many flights taken by ministers involved discussions on climate change as the UK prepares to host the COP environmental conference. Here, we look at some of the trips taken by ministers:
THE FOREIGN OFFICE MINISTER
WENDY Morton has excitedly documented her various trips abroad.
In June, she travelled to Turkey as the country stayed on the red list, ironically using the trip to talk about the importance of the country as a UK tourist hub.
She met the country’s deputy minister for foreign affairs, Faruk Kaymakcı, for a face-to-face meeting without wearing a mask, pledging that the countries would work together on climate change.
On the three-day visit she was also afforded a visit to the Hatay Archaeology Museum in Antakya. In April, when people were still unable to travel abroad, she flew to Greece for more diplomatic talks touching on the environment and visiting an ancient agora or meeting place.
EX-TORY CHAIRMAN
JAMES Cleverly has been jetting across the world this year in his role as minister for the Middle East and north Africa.
While some of his trips touched on worthy subjects, such as terrorism, others have seemed less essential.
On a trip to Tunisia in June, just three weeks before the country was placed on the red list, he tweeted a picture of himself sampling olive oils. In May, he visited Saudi Arabia to discuss clean energy.
FOREIGN SECRETARY
JUST two weeks after the UK entered its third national lockdown, Dominic Raab flew to east Africa for a three-state tour.
Mr Raab said the trip to Kenya, Sudan and Ethiopia was an ‘invaluable opportunity to strengthen key partnerships’. As well as boosting trade and security links, the multi-flight trip was heralded for aiding the fight against climate change. The senior minister has flown thousands of miles this year, often on trips where he is keen to discuss the climate. He travelled to Indonesia and Brunei in early April, while in June alone he travelled to Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Vietnam, Cambodia, Singapore and Italy.
TRADE MINISTER
WHEN Graham Stuart travelled to Dubai in March, the United Arab Emirates was on the UK’s travel red list. Local media reported that the MP was there to check on the progress of the UK pavilion at the world expo in Dubai taking place later this year. During the week-long trip, Mr Stuart met with ministers and business leaders to discuss issues including renewable energy.
SPORTS MINISTER
NIGEL Huddleston apparently dodged quarantine rules to grab selfies with Team TB heroes in Tokyo last month.
With Tokyo in a state of emergency amid surging Covid cases, strict rules mean athletes, officials and journalists are banned from leaving their hotel rooms for three to six days after arriving. Families of athletes are banned, and spectators are not allowed into stadiums.
But no sooner had the Conservative MP for Mid Worcestershire touched down on June 30, he visited the Tokyo Aquatics Centre where he soaked up the glory of Team GB’s gold medal in the mixed 4x 100m relay. He gushed on his blog: ‘I felt privileged to witness our incredible swimmers win their gold medal, only a few hours after arriving in Tokyo.’
The Government said he travelled under a diplomatic exemption as its only official representative and complied with testing protocols.