Boris Johnson takes private jet to avoid drive from Doncaster to Teesside

The prime minister has outraged environmental activists by flying to Teesside instead of making the 84 mile journey by rail or road.

There are no direct trains from Doncaster to Teesside, with the train journey involving one change and taking around one hour and 40 minutes.

And to travel from Donacaster to Teesside in his Tory battle bus would have taken Mr Johnson around one hour and 32 minutes.

Instead, the prime minister was subjected to a bumpy ride as he flew into Teesside Airport ahead of his next campaign visit.

The windy conditions could be felt by those on the plane, particularly ahead of landing, according to those on board.

Witnesses said Mr Johnson joked about the ‘pungent aroma’ of the fish as he boarded in Doncaster – which was still present on everyone involved in the first visit to a fish market in Grimsby this morning.

Guardian deputy political editor Rowena Mason said the PM exclaimed: ‘Cry haddock and unleash the cod of war’ as he got on board.

Richard Hardy tweeted: ‘It simply beggars belief that people are using air travel to cover less than 95 miles #climateemergency.’

Meanwhile, DUP leader Arlene Foster has attacked Mr Johnson for ‘breaking his word’ over his commitment to protect the union between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Mrs Foster said Government officials had told her there would need to be checks on the border with Ireland and said: ‘I think it says more about the person who broke their word than me and the leadership of the Democratic Unionist Party.’

She told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that a lack of free-flowing trade would cause ‘economic instability in Northern Ireland, which will lead to higher costs for retailers which will lead to less choice for our consumers in Northern Ireland’.

Mrs Foster added: ‘All of that leads me to say that we need to – after this election is over – have a strong team of DUP MPs back in Westminster to speak up for Northern Ireland.’

Her comments came after Labour released a leaked Treasury report last week that suggested there would be customs checks and tariffs on goods travelling in both directions between Northern Ireland and Great Britain.

Today, the BBC reports it has seen another leaked government document that reveals concerns about potential goods checks between Northern Ireland and Britain after Brexit.

The paper from the Department for Exiting the EU, seen by the BBC, lists preparing for ‘high levels’ of checks as one of the challenges in delivering the government’s Brexit deal.

Mr Johnson has insisted his Brexit plan was a ‘great deal’ and has repeatedly claimed there will be no checks in both directions.

Just this weekend, he told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge on Sunday that the report leaked by Labour was ‘wrong’ and that the six counties of Northern Ireland would have ‘unfettered access’ to the UK market.

With just three days to go until the election, the PM is embarking on a blitz of Labour’s heartlands in a bid to convince Leave voters that Jeremy Corbyn’s Brexit position is akin to a ‘great betrayal’.

While shadow chancellor John McDonnell set out Labour plans for a Budget on February 5 which he said will save the NHS, rebuild public services, and introduce a Real Living Wage of £10 per hour for all workers over 16.

In the first 100 days of a Labour government, the process of bringing water and energy into public ownership will begin, with boards set up to run the utilities.

Metro.co.uk has contacted the Conservative Party for comment.