WelshLabour ministers accused of hypocrisy after racking up 800 journeys in gas-guzzling motors
Labour ministers racked up nearly 800 journeys in gas-guzzling chauffeur-driven vehicles in just six months – while at the same time encouraging the public to leave their cars behind.
Welsh Conservatives, who unearthed the figures, believe the revelation undermines Labour’s green credentials and accused them of hypocrisy.
A Freedom of Information request found that between October last year and April this year, Labour ministers took 799 trips using the government’s ‘official car service.’
It was also revealed that the 799 trips taken by the Labour frontbenchers covered nearly 50,000 miles.
The Labour Government’s fleet of vehicles are made up of five diesel cars, five petrol hybrid and three electric vehicles.
According to the Ministerial Code, Labour ministers can use the government’s official cars for any purpose – including being picked up from their home and taken to their office as long as they are “carrying ministerial papers.”
Welsh Conservative Shadow Minister for Transport, Natasha Asghar MS, said:
“It is beyond belief that Labour ministers are preaching to the public to ditch private cars and take up public transport, while at the same time living the life of luxury being ferried around in chauffeur-driven gas-guzzling cars.
“They should be leading by example, especially as they are constantly banging the drum about people joining the green revolution.
“There is no doubt that the number of car trips is going to go through the roof in the coming months now that Labour’s health minister has been banned from driving.
“And to make matters worse, just three of the Labour Government’s ministerial vehicles are electric with the rest of them being diesel or petrol hybrid.
“This revelation just reeks of hypocrisy and seriously undermines Labour’s green credentials. It is just another example of Labour making all the right noises but failing to do anything meaningful about it.”
