Budget: Rachel Reeves mocks Rishi Sunak with private jet announcement

Rachel Reeves mocked Tory leader Rishi Sunak as she detailed Labour’s Budget in the House of Commons on Wednesday, 30 October.

The chancellor announced that the government will introduce an adjustment to air passenger duty meaning an increase of no more than £2 for an economy class short-haul flight, but was taking a different approach to private jets — increasing the rate of air passenger duty by a further 50 per cent.

Joking that Mr Sunak’s “ears pricked up” at the mention of air passenger duty, Ms Reeves said: “That is equivalent to £450 per passenger for a private jet to, say, California?”