Help us keep the lights on Support us
The Bristol Cable

Local Tory MP takes donation from private jet mogul

The donation comes as the aviation industry is likely to come under scrutiny during the general election for its impact on the climate crisis.

Reports

The Conservative MP for Filton and Bradley Stoke, Jack Lopresti, has recently accepted a donation of £5,000 from Kayan Aviation Capital (KAC), a private jet and luxury airport operator.

The donation from the aircraft and private jet company comes at a time when the industry is in the spotlight for its role in the climate crisis, which is expected to feature heavily in the election.

Get our latest stories & essential Bristol news
sent to your inbox every Saturday morning

KAC, based in London and Dublin, is part of a global group of companies providing exclusive airplanes and services to the global elite. The companies are headed by Uday Nayak, an Indian businessman with links to London as well as the Carribean island of St Kitts and Nevis and the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius, both of which are notorious tax havens. One of Nayak’s companies led the development of the first private airport terminal on St Kitts.

Self described as offering “Effortless Luxury”, Kayan Jet provides “pampered handling” and a fleet of Porsche 4x4s to whisk away customers that have reportedly included Russian oligarch Roman Abromavich and Hollywood stars. Nayak has powerful connections in St Kitts and Nevis, tweeting about meetings with both the Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, including eating out with the latter at a London restaurant.

Kayan Jet’s website

Asked on what basis the donation was made to Jack Lopresti MP in September 2019, Nayak told the Cable that Lopresti is a personal friend and the money will be used towards Lopresti’s efforts to be re-elected in the marginal seat that is being heavily targeted by local Labour campaigners. There does not appear to be any other donations made to other MPs by Nayak, Kayan Aviation Capital or associated companies.

The donation could significantly boost Lopresti’s spending on the local ‘ground war’ in this marginal. In his 2017 General Election campaign, Lopresti reported a total spending of £5,626, of a legal limit of £15,000. The second place Labour candidate reported £3,885 overall.

For Filton and Bradley Stoke a lot will depend on which way people who voted Lib Dem and Green sway this time. In 2017, the Lib Dems and Greens took a combined total of just over 4,200 votes, almost exactly the 4,190 majority that Lopresti secured over the Labour challenger.

Like Lopresti, the globe trotting Nayak appears to be an ardent Brexiteer with a string of tweets in support of Brexit, Boris Johnson and retweets of Lopresti’s statements on leaving the EU.

Lopresti’s office declined to answer questions on the matter of the donation or the relationship with Nayak or Kayan Aviation Capital.

Private jets and the climate crisis

While another of Nayak’s companies, Kayan Aircraft Leasing Ltd, website states that “by 2036 the world will need almost 35,000 new aircraft. This is an extraordinary opportunity for the aviation industry”, others are calling for a ban on private aircraft. Aviation firm Honeywell Aerospace reported last week that almost 8,000 new private jets are expected to be bought by multinational companies and the super-rich over the next decade. The research states each jet will burn an estimated 40 times as much carbon per passenger as regular commercial flights.

The Honeywell Aerospace research was followed this week by a report from left-wing think tank Common Wealth that called for a ban on fossil fuel powered private flights from the UK by 2025 to help tackle the climate disaster, and as a way to incentivise development of electric powered alternatives.

The report states “on average a typical private jet passenger journey within Europe emits around seven times as much greenhouse gases as the same journey made in business class on a typical airliner, around ten times as much as an economy class flight – and -150 times as much as an equivalent journey made by high speed rail.”

According to parliamentary voting analysis website They Work For You, Jack Lopresti has generally voted against measures to prevent climate change, including against reducing the permitted carbon dioxide emission rate of new homes and against greater regulation of the fracking industry.

We’ll be covering the general election in depth – from on the ground reporting in key marginal seats in and around Bristol to ‘Beyond Brexit’ – a mini series analysing party policies on the big issues other than Britain’s exit from the EU.

Get our latest stories & essential Bristol news
sent to your inbox every Saturday morning

Keep the Lights On

Investigative journalism strengthens democracy – it’s a necessity, not a luxury.

The Cable is Bristol’s independent, investigative newsroom. Owned and steered by more than 2,600 members, we produce award-winning journalism that digs deep into what’s happening in Bristol.

We are on a mission to become sustainable – will you help us get there?

Join now

What makes us different?

Comments

Report a comment. Comments are moderated according to our Comment Policy.

Post a comment

Mark if this comment is from the author of the article

By posting a comment you agree to our Comment Policy.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Related content

‘A disgraceful orgy of robbery’: when the Ettrick got stuck in the Avon

In 1924, a steamship ran aground near Sea Mills. When its cargo of cigarettes, chocolate and other desirable goods was thrown overboard, who could blame local people for helping themselves to the booty?

Council still hounding people with bailiffs after ‘ethical’ approach promise

The Cable has uncovered evidence Bristol City Council is referring thousands of council tax debts to enforcement agencies despite a stated policy to do so only as a last resort.

Under surveillance: how a man was recalled to prison after visiting a Bristol anarchist social centre

Toby Shone’s arrest by counter-terrorism police surveilling the BASE centre in Easton shows the state’s escalating clampdown on political dissent.

How a media backlash led to a St Paul’s woman’s dramatic release from prison

In 1933 Mary Burridge, a poor mother of five, was sentenced to a month’s hard labour after stealing a few items of food at Easter. But after a national outcry over her treatment, a wealthy lawyer flew to Cardiff to free her from prison.

Whistleblowers reveal institutional racism at local NHS trust

A Cable investigation spanning months has uncovered that complaints of institutional racism at University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Trust went unheard, despite promises from management to tackle the issue.

Cities of the future must prioritise the health of people and the planet

Preventing ill-health from poor-quality urban environments, and promoting fairness, are at the heart of a project Bristol is helping to lead.

Join our newsletter

Get the essential stories you won’t find anywhere else

Subscribe to the Cable newsletter to get our weekly round-up direct to your inbox every Saturday

Join our newsletter

Subscribe to the Cable newsletter

Get our latest stories & essential Bristol news
sent to your inbox every Saturday morning