Theresa May wants international travel to return - after receiving £40k worth of gifts from Heathrow Airport

Theresa May has urged the UK Government to “open up our international air travel” and provide certainty to the aviation industry, after receiving more than £40,000 worth of gifts from Heathrow Airport last year. The former Prime Minister was gifted 10 stays in Heathrow Airport’s luxury Windsor Suites between February and September last year, each worth £4,200. Mrs May rose to speak in the House of Commons during a debate following the announcement of the roadmap out of lockdown, to push for more clarity for the aviation industry. ‘The industry needs three months’ She did highlight her links to the industry, saying: “I refer the house to my entry in the members register”. While she said that she welcomed the reopening of schools, May added: “There’s another sector which is important to jobs in my constituency, which is fundamental to our economy, and critical for global Britain, the aviation sector”. She then criticised the Government’s plans to publish a taskforce report by 12 April which will lay out the options available for travel over the summer. May said: “At every stage, the government has taken weeks from these reports to actually provide certainty to the industry. The industry needs three months preparation from the point of certainty”. ‘Heathrow’s best kept secret’ The Windsor Suites, described as “Heathrow’s best kept secret” are exclusive premium VIP lounges for use by the Royal family or other special guests. They feature an “exquisite menu designed by Michelin starred chef Jason Atherton and served by your personal butler”, according to HeathrowVIP.com. The Windsor Suites are also home to “the finest art for your enjoyment”, curated by Tanya Baxter Contemporary, and offer a personal shopping service “to deliver a curated shopping experience with the finest luxury brands”. Retail prices for the suites start at £2,750 plus VAT, which will buy you a chauffeur ride to and from the airport, an escort to the suite, a personal butler, and Michelin star food, as well as up to two hours in a luxury suite, as standard. You’ll also be able to avoid the hassles of queuing, security checks and customs, which will all be done on your behalf. Heathrow expansion May’s history with Heathrow Airport is a mixed one, as she wrote in 2009 how her constituents would be “devastated” by a third runway at the airport, and that it would lead to “increased noise and more pollution for thousands of people”. These and other critical comments about the extension to Heathrow were deleted from her website some time before she attempted to push through the expansion decision as Prime Minister. More than £100k earned from speeches so far this year Theresa May is the highest earning MP from work outside of Parliament so far this year, having banked more than £100,000 from three speeches, totalling 10 hours work. In January, she received £39,900 and £48,245 for speeches given to TPG Communication and The Richmond Forum respectively. In February, she received £38,672 for a speech given to the Society of the Four Arts.