linky to the Independant

Well, I call bullshit accounting and “I want one” strop by the PM

Its the timing, seems either stupid or just putting two fingers up at the majority. All in this together guffaw

I don’t mind them saying that they need a plane to make sure they can work while travelling in a nice environment to feel fresh, secure etc.

What isnt’ acceptable is trying to justify it on cost saving measures – saving 750k a year with a £10m re-fit cost just doesn’t work. Those sorts of figures are less than small change to the overall spending plans.

It’s also bloody awful timing when you’ve tried to push through reducing the tax credits of the lowest paid people in the country and announcing another set of government cuts.

Let’s see if Corbyn decides to bring it up properly at PMQ

“…but Muuum, all the other kids at the G8 ‘ve got planes. I’m the only one that hasn’t. Pleeeease can I have one. I’ll keep my room tidy, I promise!”

I’ll give it to lunchtime before they trot out the “it’s for increased security in these troubled times” excuse.

Didn’t the Blair/Brown govt get rid of it more on less on the same grounds? i.e. they could save millions by using charter planes?

Further proof, if it were needed, that our politicians are divorced from the reality of millions of their electorate.

the queen will want one now and the yacht back.

That story is so short it invites the judgemental response.

BBC carries more and says it will be converting an existing plane to use when the RAF aren’t using it for its day job. Fair enough. Until Dave wants to bomb Syria a bit more when it will spend all its time doing its day job.

……and pigs might fly 😯

Air Force Wan(k).

Air Force One Does Not Share with the Oiks

nickc – Member
Didn’t the Blair/Brown govt get rid of it more on less on the same grounds? i.e. they could save millions by using charter planes?

From bikebouy (OP) link
“When he was Prime Minister, Tony Blair had planned to buy two private jets at a cost of about £100m, but “Blair Force One” was scrapped by Gordon Brown.”

I’ll chip in for having a massive target painted on the underside

<looks for “pigs might fly” angle> (aaaarrrrrggghhhhhh, perchy !)

Blair demanded a brand new jet – at a cost then of £30 million when he was PM – spending £10m on converting an aircraft seems like much better value for money.

Who’s overseeing the refit ? MOD? wonder how much the final cost will be >£30m and 3 years late, based on their usual efforts

cranberry – Member

Blair demanded a brand new jet – at a cost then of £30 million when he was PM – spending £10m on converting an aircraft seems like much better value for money.

According to the Indie it was £100m, he wanted two one for him, one for his ego.

I’m not against it really, I wouldn’t believe a Tory if they told me the sky was blue, so I don’t believe the savings figure – but this whole “we’re all in it together” thing makes us look almost apologetic on the world stage.

The queen already has a 146 she doesn’t use all that much. Too proud to share?

Would you share with Dave?

With your username, I’d be very careful…

Blair demanded a brand new jet – at a cost then of £30 million when he was PM – spending £10m on converting an aircraft seems like much better value for money.

I’d like to see their working.
Are they counting acquisition cost in there at all, or just the gold door handles and fitting out the wine cellar ? What was the intended use of that plane prior to this ? Is it to be replaced; at what cost ?
If it’s an old plane, might that have more expensive maintenance ?

Single plane is nowhere near as flexible as charters either. What if Dave wants to go the pigsexicon in San Diego the same week as Georgie’s in Davos ?

*applauds euain*

THIS

Blair demanded a brand new jet – at a cost then of £30 million when he was PM – spending £10m on converting an aircraft seems like much better value for money.

yes wasting 10 million is better value than wasting 30. Good point and well made.

cranberry – Member

Blair demanded a brand new jet – at a cost then of £30 million when he was PM – spending £10m on converting an aircraft seems like much better value for money.

Yeah, but he didn’t actually get one, is the point. £0 is less than either £10m or £30m

TBH it doesn’t sound so ridiculous, the boy needs to fly around selling weapons building international relations and it’ll be essentially a mobile office. Wonder what the annual running costs are? The numbers all sound dodgy.

pigsexicon

😆

I’d be worried about the security implications.

It would be just too easy for George Osborne to plant a bomb on it, and then detonate it just as Dave is flying to the Conservative party conference….

What are they expecting to happen that they’re not telling us about?

What else would Dave need a TACAMO facility?

Makes you think…

What else would Dave need a TACAMO facility?

He has put a bit of weight on

Although in these circumstances high and mighty might be more appropriate

……I should do this shit for a living

euain I have never had relations with that Prime Minister 😆

what’s the betting they’ll end up still flying business class, one round of crusty raf sarnies and a cold cup of tea it’ll be back to BA

If they are converting an ex raf plane, I hope there will be a conference table over the, still functional, bomb doors James bond baddie style.

flying around in a converted working fuel tanker doesn’t particularly sound like a vanity exercise, to me at least. Much akin to ferrying the royals around London in the back of a converted council bin wagon.

If it is full of plane fuel just imagine the pyrotechnics when some bugger puts a bomb on it. Guy fawkes will be turning in his bonfire…

TBH it doesn’t sound so ridiculous, the boy needs to fly around selling weapons building and it’ll be essentially a mobile office. Wonder what the annual running costs are? The numbers all sound dodgy.

FIFY (you’d crossed the salient point out for some reason…)

I think it’s vanity, it’s a “you’ve all got one, I want one” Glam policy of the highest order.
Whilst I recognise the need to travel to and from places all over the world, they’ve been successful enough in that guise for years now.. So why the change? Why the sudden change now? This is another step in the removal of links in a Public environment, removing Dav’e further up his own stratospheric ladder to the clouds. The bulshite accounting is just a platitude too far and makes a mockery of saving money in (less increasingly) Austere times.
If they call “security” as a reason them I’m properly annoyed. We have to travel in rammed infrastructure, why on earth can they not too. Been on the Jubilee Line recently, stinks like a rat trap and snot filled emporium.. C’mon Dav’e, join in with us, catch a cold from the dirty public, come on..

I suspect him to propose a few rooms in the Space Station next, his own wing perhaps and a Big White Cat on expenses.

The RAF tankers are already configured for use as a troop/freight carrier. Indeed, that was part of the justification for using the A330. £10m seems like a lot of spangly add-ons and might mean that the aircraft is less useful/capable than in its original/design spec.

Still, it’s nice that there’s a spare one available. Maybe the next defence review is going to cut the number of fixed wing aircraft that might benefit from the occasional top-up so it won’t matter.

I suppose there’s also the security angle – when our PM is using scheduled flights the whole of twitter will know that he’s boarded and where’s he’s going within seconds of him taking his seat. In these days of nutjobs having rocket launchers amongst other things not advertising his movements in advance seems fairly sensible.

Using a refurbished plane seems to make sense on cost grounds but potentially also increases the PM’s security and that of the 200 or so people who would be otherwise sharing a plane with him – you can’t fit anti-rocket devices to all of BA’s planes.

The aircraft would be used by…. possibly members of the Royal Family, The Daily Telegraph reported.

So that’s Andrews golfing trips sorted…

I can see that always flying around in the same plane might increase the opportunity to add security devices to it but those might be offset by it always being the same plane – recognisable, predictable, maybe even trackable if you were a well-financed or well-networked baddy ?

And flanked by RAF jets where ever it goes no doubt.

I’d like to pre book a flight on it to Sardinia next September for an event I’m taking part in..

Where do I go to book it??

They will be converting an exiting RAF aircraft. It makes sense to have a dedicated aircraft with advanced communications equipment. Hard to understand why we don’t have one already

cant wait for the labour defence review, I’m sure they will have a different proposal if only they could agree on a policy. Its got off to a great start….