RISHI Sunak attempted to make a quick escape from a Good Morning Britain interview as he was grilled over a fresh package of measures designed to tackle the cost-of-living crisis.
The Chancellor announced a £21 billion package to assist people with soaring energy bills on Thursday, with every household in the UK set to receive a £400 discount later in the year.
The measures will be funded by a 25% windfall tax on the profits of oil and gas giants.
Sunak appeared on the ITV breakfast show to face questions over his announcement, with many people suggesting the timing of it was planned to deflect from the damaging findings of the Sue Gray report.
And as he finished speaking about the windfall tax he said: "Thank you very much for having me."
But he was then stopped by presenter Ben Shephard who made sure he got a question in about Boris Johnson and his leadership following revelations about parties in Downing Street during lockdown after a guest on the show on Thursday said she had no confidence in the Prime Minister.
Defending Johnson, Sunak said: "I know the Prime Minister is deeply sorry for what happened and has taken full responsibility for it. As he said recently, he has learned the lessons from the events that have happened and made changes to the way Downing Street is run.
"He's double-downed on his resolve to deliver for the British people."
Sunak then said he fully supported Johnson and said he was "enormously committed" to delivering for the British people.
The Chancellor also appeared on Radio 4's Today programme where he insisted he is not considering resigning despite being fined for breaking coronavirus laws.
He did not rule out having agonised over whether to quit after the Metropolitan Police issued him with a fixed-penalty notice over Boris Johnson’s birthday gathering.
But Sunak insisted he will continue with the same “energy and verve I’ve always had for this job” as he leads the response to the cost-of-living crisis.
The Chancellor and his wife Akshata Murty came under intense scrutiny in recent months after it was revealed she holds non-domiciled status, allowing her to reduce her UK tax bill.
Questions have also been raised about whether he can empathise with a nation suffering with soaring prices after the pair entered The Sunday Times Rich List for the first time with their joint £730 million fortune.
Asked if he was considering resigning, Sunak told BBC Radio 4: “No.
“I am fully committed to helping get the country through what are some challenging months ahead and build a brighter future for the people that I’m very privileged to represent.
“And as you saw yesterday I have the same energy and verve I’ve always had for this job and I’ll keep at it.”
Sunak has also refused to rule out a further emergency cost-of-living package next year despite alarm among some Tories at the impact on the public finances of the latest measures.
Paul Johnson, director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, said on the Today show the impact of a one-off series of measures would be limited, and the Chancellor would come under pressure to repeat it in future years.
Sunak insisted he remained a “fiscal conservative” and was committed to managing the public finances “responsibly”, but he refused to rule out another emergency package next year.
