John O’Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, also told The People’s Channel: “The public are being taken for a ride by a government that seems to think money is no object.
“Thanks to the Prime Minister’s Manchester obsession, taxpayers are now footing the bill for what amounts to a private jet pick-up service, rather than cheaper, more sensible alternatives.
“Burnham should stop treating taxpayers’ hard-earned money as an endless pot to fund unnecessary travel arrangements and start showing some respect for those who pay the bills.”
Ahead of his visit to the Caribbean, Mr Burnham opened the door to issuing an apology for the UK’s role in the transatlantic slave trade.
Writing for The Guardian this weekend, the Prime Minister said: “Listening to calls for a formal apology on behalf of the British state will form an important part of this process, and I am open to them.”
He added: “For years, those members of the Commonwealth affected by the slave trade have asked for an honest conversation about the legacies of slavery.
“By sticking our heads in the sand, we have damaged the ability of the Commonwealth to function.”