Tory defence chief accused of using VIP helicopter as 'ministerial taxi service' in office

Defence sources said the elder Tory MP James Cartlidge utilized the chopper portion astatine the Ministry of Defence to ferry him to and from events via an airfield adjacent his constituency

New Tory shadiness defence main James Cartlidge has been accused of utilizing a VIP taxpayer-funded helicopter arsenic a "ministerial taxi service".

Defence sources told The Mirror the elder Tory MP utilized the chopper portion astatine the Ministry of Defence to ferry him to and from events via an airfield adjacent his constituency.

On 1 juncture the ex-Defence curate visited Hightown Barracks successful Wrexham and landed backmost astatine Wattisham airfield - adjacent to the country helium represents.

The erstwhile Tory MP for Wrexham, Sarah Atherton, adjacent recorded a video of the ex-minister preparing to instrumentality disconnected successful the taxpayer-funded chopper backmost successful February. "We’re present successful Highton Barracks, he’s conscionable astir to instrumentality off," she says successful the signaling with the chopper successful the distance.

On a 2nd juncture successful September 2023, Mr Cartlidge utilized the chopper to sojourn Albemarle Barracks successful Northumberland from RAF Northolt. He past utilized the chopper to question backmost to the airbase adjacent to his constituency, according to defence sources.

During the lawsuit helium met with the erstwhile Tory MP Guy Opperman. He said astatine the time: “A truly absorbing and enjoyable sojourn - important to spot the afloat representation of our MOD property successful each portion of the country.”

A Labour root told The Mirror: “This demonstrates however wasteful and retired of interaction the Tories were successful Government - much funny successful utilizing their positions for perks alternatively than strengthening our Armed Forces.

“They spent 14 years hollowing retired and underfunding our forces, past had the feature to usage an MoD-funded VIP chopper arsenic a ministerial taxi service. It’s lone close that the caller authorities scrapped this vanity task and enactment that wealth backmost into fixing the foundations of our forces.”

It comes aft Keir Starmer scrapped a £40million chopper contract utilized to ferry astir Rishi Sunak and elder ministers backmost successful August. The ex-PM was often criticised for his predominant home flying and adjacent intervened successful 2023 to halt the declaration for the chopper woody from expiring.

The Mirror besides reported earlier this twelvemonth the erstwhile Defence Secretary Grant Shapps, who mislaid his spot astatine the election, utilized an RAF chopper to prime him up adjacent home. He was accused of turning the VIP chopper into "Britain's astir costly Uber".

Mr Cartlidge's squad declined to comment.