Is Rishi Sunak Labour’s not-so-secret weapon in this election campaign? The question has to be asked after Sunak’s latest political gaffe during an interview with ITV, due to be broadcast tonight, in which he is asked to speak about his experiences growing up.
This line of questioning – in the hands of any normal politician – is fertile territory for speaking movingly about early life and family values. But Sunak is no ordinary politician, he is altogether rather extraordinary but not necessarily in a good way. Only in Sunak’s hands could such a soft ball question and easy opportunity be turned into yet another damaging political own goal.
Asked by the ITV interviewer, Paul Brand, to give an example of something that he grew up without, Sunak said that he went without ‘lots of things’. When pressed to give specific examples, the Prime Minister said this:
‘There’ll be all sorts of things that I would’ve wanted as a kid that I couldn’t have. Famously, Sky TV, so that was something that we never had growing up actually.’
It is hard not to gasp at his answer for the sheer political ineptitude it displays. In what universe, political or otherwise, is being deprived of a chance of watching Sky classed as hardship? What can Sunak be thinking?
It is hard not to gasp at his answer for the sheer political ineptitude
It is simply more evidence of Sunak’s inability to relate to ordinary voters, and it is the more damaging and damning because it comes from his own lips.
Sunak’s political opponents were predictably quick to pounce, and who can blame them? The TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said that ‘every time the PM opens his mouth he shows how out of touch he is’. In a post on X, Nowak wrote: ‘His government has impoverished millions, but that’s OK because he had to do without Sky Sports as a kid’. Labour’s Jess Phillips wrote on X/Twitter:
‘Yesterday a pensioner called my office for a food bank voucher. She was one of many yesterday, it’ll be the same today.’
Sunak has no one to blame but himself for giving Labour a free hit. His comments about missing out on Sky managed to overshadow his other remarks about his parents working hard and wanting to ensure a better life for their children.
The ITV interview, let’s not forget, already caused huge problems and negative headlines for Sunak last week. The PM was forced to apologise for missing part of the D-Day commemorations in France to return home to record it. He was widely condemned for leaving the 80th anniversary events early for the pre-recorded TV programme; critics described his decision to leave early as crass and a dereliction of duty. One might have thought lessons would have been learnt. Apparently not.
In a clip released by ITV News, which appears to show Sunak chatting to the journalist before the formal interview starts, Sunak apologises for being late, saying the event in Normandy ‘all just ran over’. Come again? Is this really appropriate language for the PM to use about the D-Day events?
Sunak’s latest misstep serves as a reminder that he has something of a history when it comes to gaffes, blunders and inappropriate comments. In February, Sunak was attacked for being ‘out of touch’ after taking a £1,000 bet with Piers Morgan on whether deportation flights to Rwanda would take off before the election. Sunak shook hands with the presenter on the wager. It was poor judgment, even more so because it was caught on camera.
Another embarrassment for Sunak occurred when he was filmed failing to wear a seat belt in a video clip uploaded to social media. He was given a fixed penalty notice by the police.
Sunak, during his time as chancellor, was caught out reportedly borrowing a hatchback from a Sainsbury’s worker to fill up with petrol for a photo opportunity, instead of using his government-issued Jaguar. On the same day, he appeared unsure how to use a contactless card to buy something in a shop. He also attracted widespread mockery when he asked a homeless man in a shelter whether he was ‘in business’.
The best that can be said about our PM is that he lacks the common touch. The deeper problem is that Sunak comes across as a political ingenue, lacking even the most basic fighting skills as a campaigner and politician. That spells even bigger disaster for the Tories in a campaign that is already doomed. Perhaps their only hope of salvation at this late stage is to keep Sunak away from the TV cameras, save him from himself, and hope for the best.
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