Watch: Sunak slammed for Partygate during campaign trip

Oh dear. It was only a matter of time before the issue of Partygate came up on the campaign trail and today the Prime Minister was forced to face up to it. On his trip to Buckinghamshire, the first question asked of Rishi Sunak centred on the pandemic, the government-enforced lockdown and the rule-breaking in No. 10. Hardly the best start…

Pointing to the PM’s use of the word ‘trust’, a frustrated voter spoke out:

It’s good that you mentioned trust. My mum died in 2020, the height of the pandemic, my brothers couldn’t be with us in hospital, I couldn’t be there. You probably remember, that was the month where all the parties were going on in Downing Street. I think the month after you attended a gathering where you got a fixed penalty notice. So my question was, how can anyone trust you, or the party, after things like this?

A rather sheepish Sunak responded:

Well, I’m really sorry you lost your mum and particularly in those circumstances, because it wasn’t easy for so many people during the pandemic, the impact it had on everyone’s life. And I can’t imagine what it must have been for you not to be able to be with her at that time. It was really tough.

Going on, the Prime Minister cautiously broached the issue of the Downing Street parties:

And I’m sorry for what was going on in Downing Street. For my part, I apologise that I showed up to a meeting earlier, as you know I was working on things to help you and your business and many other families like that.

And never missing an opportunity to harp on about furlough, Sunak continued:

And in fact it was probably that same period of time that you got to know me as chancellor. Most of you didn’t know who I was before then, and I popped up on your TV screens, announced the furlough scheme, because I knew that we were going to have to work together to get through that and it was going to be a difficult time. Hopefully some of you here benefited from some of the support that we put in place, because that was what I was working on during the pandemic.

Hardly the full-throated apology Mr S imagines the constituent was after…

The ex-chancellor received a fixed penalty notice in 2022 after he was found to have attended a surprise birthday do for former prime minister Boris Johnson — who was also punished for the event, which included a Union Jack cake and an assortment of M&S party food. Sunak has always claimed he was waiting for a ‘Covid strategy committee meeting…held in the same room’, but he’ll have to find a better way of responding to an issue that remains rather emotive for much of the nation…

Watch the clip here: