“Famously, Sky TV, so that was something that we never had"
Rishi Sunak complained that he went without Sky TV as a child.
In an ITV interview to be broadcast on June 12, 2024, the wealthy Prime Minister laughed awkwardly as he was questioned on whether he understands the struggles facing ordinary families.
The chat will also reignite the controversy over his decision to leave D-Day events in Normandy early so he could conduct the interview.
Mr Sunak was condemned for failing to attend some of the events.
But despite leaving for that interview, Mr Sunak was still late and apologised to presenter Paul Brand, saying:
“It all just ran over. It was incredible, but it just ran over.”
Mr Brand then asked the PM: “Have you ever gone without something?”
Mr Sunak replied: “Yes, I mean, my family emigrated here with very little. And that’s how I was raised. I was raised with the values of hard work.”
When pressed on what he had gone without as a child, Rishi Sunak said:
“Oh, we went without lots of things because my parents wanted to put everything into our education and that was a priority.”
He was then asked to give examples of what had to be sacrificed but Mr Sunak could only say:
“Lots of things.”
The PM then laughed.
As Mr Brand continued to push Mr Sunak to give an example, he revealed:
“All sorts of things like lots of people. 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.”
‘There’ll be all sorts of things that I would have wanted as a kid that I couldn’t have – famously Sky TV’@RishiSunak reveals the sacrifices his parents were forced to make when he was young
Watch full interview on the Tonight programme on ITV at 7pmhttps://t.co/WN3WqEFirH pic.twitter.com/6XNLBJdMM8
— ITV News (@itvnews) June 11, 2024
The clip led to Mr Sunak facing criticism from frustrated viewers.
One said: “He didn’t see the obvious trap coming, walked right into it – and oh dear.
“Feigning that he’s been one of the children in this country who really suffered because he went without Sky TV, is not just a faux pas – it’s offensive.”
Another sarcastically wrote:
“Just so so sad to hear Rishi Sunak had to grow up without Sky TV.”
Paul Nowak, General secretary of the Trades Union Congress, said:
“Millions of kids are going into school hungry. Try telling them that missing out on Sky is a sacrifice.
“Every time the PM opens his mouth he shows how out of touch he is.
“Let’s not forget that he went to one of the country’s most exclusive public schools and boasted about not knowing any working-class people growing up.
“And the veterans who we honoured last week will be dismayed to hear the PM was seemingly inconvenienced by the commemorations ‘running over’.”
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