Image does not show U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer in front of his private jet

What’s being claimed?

An image of U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer standing in front of an aircraft with the Union flag on its tail has been shared online with the claim that the aircraft is Keir Starmer’s private jet. 

An X (formerly Twitter) post featured the image with the caption, "Socialist" Sir Keir Starmer steps aboard his big Private Jet. No difference from Sunak.” The post had over three million views and 9,700 likes. An archive of the post can be found here. A Facebook user shared a screenshot of this X post; an archive can be found here.

Screenshot of the viral image shared online. (Source: X/Modified by Logically Facts)

However, the claim is false. Starmer was standing near a Royal Air Force (RAF) Voyager named "Vespina" when leaving for Washington D.C. for the NATO summit.

Here are the facts

Through a reverse image search, we found that the image is a screenshot from an interview with Starmer at Stansted Airport on July 9. The video was uploaded by Reuters, captioned, “NATO ‘must send Putin a very clear message’ - UK PM.” The same video was shared by Sky News on July 9, 2024, which reports that Starmer was heading to Washington D.C. for the 75th NATO summit. In the video, he was speaking about Russia's invasion of Ukraine and NATO allies' stance. He was holding a red ministerial folder while addressing reporters. We found that the viral image had been edited to brighten and change the color of his blazer. The background and his attire match the viral image.

Comparison of Reuters video and viral image. (Source: Reuters/X)

Our search for an aircraft with the Union flag on its tail led us to a BBC article published on June 25, 2020. It shows multiple photos that look similar to the plane seen in the viral image. It reports that the plane is an RAF Voyager and was refurbished with the Union flag livery to represent the United Kingdom, which cost £900,000. It is usually used by the Royal Family, the Prime Minister, and other senior government officials to travel abroad.

The RAF also reports that Voyager “Vespina,” known as "ZZ336" (Military Registration Number), transports ministers, senior ministers, the Royal Family, and its delegates for trade, diplomatic, and other missions. It can travel to any airport that can take an Airbus A330. Vespina started its operational duties on June 26, 2020. The design and painting of the Union flag at the tail of Vespina on the RAF website match the viral image. Alamy, a stock photo website, also shows the aircraft with the Union flag livery. This shows that the aircraft in the image is the RAF VIP Voyager, not a personal private jet.

Comparison of Voyager Vespina with viral image. (Source: Royal Air Force/X)

Starmer became Prime Minister of the U.K. on July 5, 2024, after the Labour Party won the general elections. Starmer was in the limelight when he used a private jet while traveling to Scotland from Wales on May 30, 2024, for the Labour Party’s Campaign rally. In July 2024, he traveled to Berlin to watch the European Championships in a private jet. Social media users had criticized Starmer for misusing the taxpayer's money and blamed him for attacking former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for using a private jet in January 2024, the Telegraph reports.

Does Keir Starmer own a jet?

Our research showed that most private jets or planes owned in the U.K. are registered with the Civil Aviation Authority. Civil aircraft in the U.K. generally start with the "G" prefix. We found no results for Starmer on the CAA website, and there is no credible evidence or reports to support the claim that Starmer owns a private jet.

The verdict 

An image of Prime Minister Keir Starmer standing in front of RAF Voyager "Vespina" was shared with the false claim that Starmer was using his own private jet. We found no evidence that he owns a private jet, and he is entitled to use the Vespina in his role as Prime Minister. Therefore, we have marked this claim as false.