Why is David Cameron only declaring £16,000 for a trip that cost over £100,000?

What's the difference between first class air travel and transport via a private jet?

Well, let's see. With a private jet you can set your own timetable for departure and return - more or less. You can arrive via limousine at the steps of the aircraft and ascend the steps, saluted by the pilot. If your jet is a Falcon 9oo it will have deep-pile carpets, supple leather seats and veneer trimmings. There'll be video conferencing and sateillite phone facilities. And plenty of room to walk around with your "head held high".You'll also have room to take along your mates.

The Falcon 900 has another distinctive feature. It costs about six times as much as first class air travel.

So how come David Cameron is declaring £16,000 (the cost of a first class airline ticket) for a trip to Darfur on a Falcon 900 when, if you hired such a jet for such a trip it would cost you something north of £100,000?

The only conceivable answer to this question is that the jet is owned by his mate Lord Ashcroft.

Oh well, that's all right then.

...or is it?