A GREEN councillor has called on all domestic flights to be banned just months after the council leader was caught flying to a climate convention.

Councillor Elaine Hills called on the government to tax frequent flying or ban domestic jet setting altogether - despite Phelim Mac Cafferty jetting to COP26 last year.

The Green Party leader took a plane from London to Glasgow to attend the climate convention on the same day he criticised the government for a "lack of action" over climate change last year.

After completing the 460-mile journey, Cllr Mac Cafferty made a speech on cutting carbon emissions and appeared at a protest march, led by Greta Thunberg, calling for world leaders to stop temperatures rising.

The Argus: Elaine Hills called on the government to tax frequent flyingElaine Hills called on the government to tax frequent flying

Hanover and Elm Grove Cllr Elaine Hills compiled a list of New Year's resolutions for the government.

She shared her list on Twitter:

"Huge home insulation programme.

"Cheap/free bus/tram travel.

"Slash the cost of train travel/improve services.

"Ban domestic flights/tax frequent flying.

"Introduce universal basic income."

At the general election in 2019, the Green Party pledged to "revolutionise our transport system by ending dependence on carbon".

In its manifesto, the party also promised to discourage excessive flying, ban advertising for flights and stop the building of new runways.

While Cllr Mac Cafferty, who has been leader of the city’s ruling administration since July 2020, has previously been outspoken on environmental issues.

In November, he unreservedly apologised for taking flight for around 1 hour 20 minutes - saying he had been worried his train might be cancelled.

He told The Argus: "This decision to fly was a major failure of my judgement which goes against my political group’s pledges and principles and I unreservedly apologise.”

The blunder came just days after Cllr Mac Cafferty claimed in his weekly Argus column that Brighton and Hove was "leading the way on climate and social action".

Last year, councillors in Brighton and Hove also asked officials to draw up plans for a“liveable city centre” with restrictions on cars.

The restrictions could be introduced as soon as 2023 when the next Brighton and Hove City Council elections are due to be held.