UK PM Boris Johnson accused of 'hypocrisy' for using private jet after COP26 summit

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson was accused of 'hypocrisy' after he chose to fly in a private jet during his return from COP26 climate summit.

One of the main thrusts of climate change actions is cutting down the use of private vehicles and using more public transportation. Johnson's use of private jet was seen in this light.

Reports said he returned for a reunion dinner at a men-only private club with old colleagues from the Daily Telegraph, including former editor Charles Moore -- a sceptic about man-made climate change.

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The main opposition Labour party accused Johnson of "staggering hypocrisy" after he spent two days in Glasgow demanding other leaders show more backbone on tackling climate change.

If the leaders "fluff our lines or miss our cue" on the planetary crisis, future generations "will not forgive us", he said in opening a COP26 summit on Monday.

"They will judge us with bitterness and with a resentment that eclipses any of the climate activists of today -- and they will be right," he said.

Downing Street has defended Johnson's decision to fly back to London rather than take the train, pleading time constraints and saying the carbon emissions were offset.

The UK government went into COP26 accused of hypocrisy on another front, after cutting its budget for foreign aid, having spent gargantuan sums on the coronavirus pandemic.

The cuts have added to difficulties for COP delegates from poorer countries struggling to obtain Covid-19 vaccines and facing sky-high costs to travel to Glasgow and stay anywhere close to Scotland's biggest city.

Johnson was also distracted at the summit by an ongoing row with France, which accuses him of acting in bad faith over post-Brexit fishing rights.

(With inputs from agencies)