With Sir Keir Starmer struggling to make a mark and the Tories maintaining a poll lead, there’s been a concerted effort of late among those on the Left to take on Rishi Sunak. Labour brains view the Chancellor as the government’s biggest electoral asset – particularly among swing voters. That perhaps goes some way to explain why certain members of the commentariat along with Starmer’s front bench were so quick to go on the offensive this afternoon.
The problem? An answer Sunak gave during Treasury Questions on the efforts of working mothers during the pandemic. Sunak was quoted online as saying:
‘We owe mums everywhere an enormous debt of thanks for doing the enormously difficult job of juggling childcare and work at this tricky time.’
His prose quickly riled commentators and Labour politicians alike – with several on social media suggesting this was positively sexist. What about the working dads? Was Sunak so old-fashioned as to leave out a key parental group?
Only here’s the snag. The question Sunak was responding to was specifically on… mothers. Sunak was asked:
‘May I thank my right honourable friend for all the steps he is taking to alleviate the difficulties experienced by mothers who just want to work and contribute to the economy with their children safely back in school.’
Oh well. Never let the facts get in the way of a round of Twitter outrage:
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