AN embarrassing gaffe made by former chancellor and current candidate for Prime Minister – bidding to replace Boris Johnson as Tory leader – Rishi Sunak has re-emerged.
The clip shows Sunak, seemingly looking keen to showcase his wide social circle. He says: “I have friends who are aristocrats, I have friends who are upper class, I have friends who are working class, but –“, he then cuts himself off.
“Well – not working class”, he said after a short period of reflection.
Sunak, the first politician to make it onto the Sunday Times Rich List thanks to he and his wife’s joint £730 million fortune, said his values are "patriotism, fairness and hard work".
"I have friends who are aristocrats, friends who are upper class and friends who are working class....well not WORKING CLASS!"#RishiSunak 2001 🙄 pic.twitter.com/5MRVadFcwa
— Kathryn Franklin (@DerbyDuck) July 8, 2022
As a child Sunak attended the private school “Stroud school”, later going on to study at the University of Oxford.
In his role as chancellor, he faced heavy criticism from opposition leaders, his own backbenchers, and leading economists for failing to do more to support the poorest families struggling to cope during the cost of living crisis.
He faced particular scorn for not raising benefits to help families weather the cost-of-living crisis, but he blamed this on “technical issues” with DWP computers – a claim branded “pathetic” at the time by Jonathan Ashworth, the shadow work and pensions secretary.
On Friday July 8, Sunak launched his bid for leadership of the Conservative party with a video which drew upon his family’s journey to the UK as immigrants in search for a better life.
Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid will rinse the whole 'child of immigrants' nonsense as if they didn't serve in a cabinet that was about to deport people to Rwanda.
— Hamza (@Hamza_a96) July 8, 2022
This was met with a range of reactions on Twitter, with one account commenting: “Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid will rinse the whole ‘child of immigrants’ nonsense as if they didn't serve in a cabinet that was about to deport people to Rwanda.”
Sunak is pegged as one of the top candidates with a chance of securing the Prime Ministerial role this year.
