Robert Jenrick of the Reform party has promised to reduce a tax on flights, despite receiving financial support from the owner of an airline that stands to gain from his proposed policy change.
As the party’s Treasury spokesperson, Jenrick committed to eliminating air passenger duty for short-haul trips involving adults accompanied by children.
It has come to light that he has received £40,000 from a company holding a majority share in the German airline Condor.
Condor recently commenced operations on its first UK route, subjecting it to the duty that Jenrick plans to partially eliminate.
This revelation is likely to raise concerns about potential conflicts of interest involving Jenrick, who publicly supported the party’s new policy alongside leader Nigel Farage in the previous month.
In response to these revelations, the Labour party commented that the public may question whose interests Jenrick is truly serving.
Air passenger duty, which recently increased by £2 to £15 for short-haul international economy flights, is typically paid by airlines but often passed on to passengers through ticket prices. Jenrick’s proposal to scrap the “family holiday tax” was announced at Heathrow Airport, aiming to save families an average of £45 on flights.
The policy would specifically target adult economy tickets for short-haul flights, with an estimated annual cost of £166 million to be offset by reductions in spending on migrant welfare, mental health benefits, and foreign aid.
Despite his previous ties to the Conservative party, Jenrick made no mention of how his donor would benefit from this policy change after defecting to the Reform party earlier in the year.
Attestor Limited provided Jenrick with £15,000 in September and £25,000 in March the previous year. In 2021, Attestor acquired a 51% stake in Condor from the German government, which had previously bailed out the airline.
Condor’s recent launch of flights between Gatwick and Frankfurt has been seen as a strategic move for growth in the European market, according to CEO Peter Gerber.
Reports in May 2021 indicated that Attestor Ltd had taken over the majority share in Condor, rescuing the airline from its reliance on government assistance. Attestor’s ownership of Condor is confirmed on their website.
During his tenure as Housing Secretary in 2020, Jenrick approved a property development shortly before receiving a donation from the developer, sparking controversy.
A spokesperson from the Labour party highlighted Jenrick’s history of potential conflicts of interest with major corporations.
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