Rishi Sunak's £40m Helicopter Service Cancelled; UK's New PM Says It's Too 'Wasteful'

By Thea Felicity

Aug 27 2024, 10:29 AM EDT

Britain's outgoing Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative party, Risihi Sunak, delivers as statement after losing the general election, outside 10 Downing Street in London on July 5, 2024, a day after Britain held a general election. British leader Rishi Sunak conceded defeat Friday to Keir Starmer's main opposition Labour party in the UK general election, saying, "I take responsibility for the loss". HENRY NICHOLLS/AFP via Getty Images

Outgoing UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has canceled a government helicopter contract worth £40 million ($50 million) as part of a move to address public spending concerns.

According to BBC, the contract, which would otherwise come up for renewal, will now be scrapped, with Downing Street and the Ministry of Defence both said to have been behind the move.

Rishi Sunak's Controversial 'Wasteful' Helicopter Service

The helicopters have given Sunak's critics weapons to slam him for being too excessive while in the government. Now, the cutting of this contract is aimed at ending the "grossly wasteful" service that the Labour party, which new UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is a member of, coined.

A Labour source told BBC that the helicopter service was a very bad example of how the last administration lost touch with the financial pain everyone else was facing. "It's only right that this service is brought to an end," said the source, who also calls for the need to address budgetary issues left by the Tories.

Why Rishi Sunak's Cancelled His Helicopter Service

The cancellation of the helicopter contract comes as Sunak's upcoming key speech next week to signal a shift from the previous government's policies and to outline new approaches to managing public finances.

However, his decision was said to be mostly due to a BBC investigation revealing that he used RAF jets and helicopters more frequently than any of his recent predecessors, which had been a point of criticism.

In addition to ending the helicopter contract, the government has restarted the recruitment process for a new national security adviser. General Gwyn Jenkins, who was appointed to replace Sir Tim Barrow, will no longer take up the role, and the search for a new adviser will begin anew.