Sir Keir Starmer’s globetrotting has cost the taxpayer millions since entering Number 10, new figures show. The Labour government is spending a greater amount on foreign trips, with the Prime Minister’s 39 visits abroad since July 2024 costing more than £4 million.
The Labour leader’s frequent trips overseas have seen Tories dub him ‘Never Here Keir’, while some of his backbenchers are said to have also been frustrated by the regularity of his visits overseas. Improving relations with other countries has been one of Sir Keir’s foreign policy priorities since taking office, with his Brexit ‘reset’ with the EU and a new trade deal with China two obvious examples. Sir Keir’s most expensive quarter for travel came at the end of 2025, with eight trips costing up to £1.2 million.
The most pricey was his three-day visit to the COP climate conference in Brazil, along with 29 officials, which added up to £413,000, The Guardian reported.
A trade trip to India with 45 staff on a commercial plane cost £340,000, while £367,000 was spent on a trip to the G20 in Johannesburg, South Africa, with 30 staff on an RAF jet.
The figures were released in the Government’s latest transparency publication.
Sir Keir is spending more on foreign trips than his predecessors Rishi Sunak and Boris Johnson, although much of Mr Johnson’s premiership was marked by international travel bans due to the pandemic.
However, the Guardian reports Sir Tony Blair, David Cameron and Theresa made as many, if not more, trips abroad than Sir Keir during the first two years in Number 10.
A Government spokesperson said: “All PM travel is done with consideration to security requirements and value for taxpayers, and is central to rebuilding Britain’s global influence and keeping people safe through stronger alliances.
“These trips have helped secure billions in investment for the UK and tens of thousands of jobs, while strengthening our security, protecting British interests overseas and delivering real benefits for people at home.”