British Prime Minister David Cameron and his wife Samantha took a Ryanair flight to southern Spain last week.

After the Camerons’ now famous visit to Ronda and the Guadiaro valley in May 2008, when David was Leader of the Opposition (see www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2008/06/18/david-dave-camerons-common-touch-on-holiday/), it is reported that the couple flew from Stansted to Málaga last Wednesday with the budget airline. They then drove to Granada to spend three nights there to mark Samantha's 40th birthday. It’s the premier’s first foreign holiday since becoming Prime Minister last year.

The short break was shrouded in secrecy for security reasons. Whilst an official statement said that the Camerons stayed at a ‘mid-market’ hotel on the Spanish coast, the Spanish daily newspaper El Mundo reported that the couple flew into Málaga airport on Wednesday night, without their three children, and then took a car to Granada. Ideal newspaper in Granada said that in fact one of the Cameron children was with the couple.

On Thursday morning the couple visited the Alhambra just like any other tourists and had lunch at a restaurant in the Albaicín, El Huerto de Juan Ranas. They apparently sampled the famous porra antequerana and an alpujarreño selection.

The couple returned to London on Saturday.

But why did Cameron fly Ryanair and stay in a 3-star hotel? What a cheapskate! Surely with his wealthy background and his prime ministerial salary of £120k a year, he could have afforded to fly BA and stay in a 5-star hotel or at the Granada Parador!

Think about it, though! If he had done that he would have been criticised from all sides for wasting money in times of austerity. And rightly so. As it was, he flew by Ryanair, as many of us do in order to save money, and I'm sure he was quite comfortable in his 3-star hotel, as most of us would have been.

Smart political move or patronising token gesture towards Joe Public? You decide! I just think it’s great that he now knows how unpleasant a flight in cattle class with Ryanair can be – no reclining seat, overpriced food and drink, surcharges and rude cabin crew (or are they just the ones who work out of Liverpool?). I’m sure Samantha was thrilled to be treated so well on her birthday...

© Paul Whitelock

See also:

Cameron’s holidays in Ronda

Las vacaciones rondeñas del 'premier'

http://www.secretandalucia.com/guadiaro-valley/news/478-camerons-holidays-in-ronda.html

Tags:  British Prime Minister, David Cameron, Samantha, Ryanair, Ronda, the Guadiaro valley, Budget airline, El Mundo, Ideal, Alhambra, porra antequerana, alpujarreño,  paul whitelock, www.a1-solutions-spain.com