Rishi Sunak said that he went without “lots of things” growing up as a child, saying he never had Sky TV when asked about his wealth growing up.
In the interview, with ITV’s Paul Brand, the Prime Minister revealed he was forced to go without Sky TV when he was younger as his parents prioritised his education.
When asked to give an example of something he went without growing up, Mr Sunak said: “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. But it was lots of things but again, that’s my experience. What is more important is my values and how I was raised.
EXCL: In his D Day interview - at a time of CCHQ’s choosing - Rishi Sunak sits down to discuss the personal & political.
— Paul Brand (@PaulBrandITV) June 12, 2024
When asked how he can relate to voters - what he’s ever gone without - he says as a child he had to forgo “Sky TV”.
7pm @ITVTonight.pic.twitter.com/pb7slvAJnk
“And I was raised in a household where hard work was really important … service to your community was important. And my parents worked very hard for what they had and they wanted their kids to have a better life.”
The Prime Minister’s response, part of an interview which airs on ITV tonight, has been criticised by many online who have pointed out that Sky TV didn’t launch until the Prime Minister was nine years old.
Alan Beattie, who writes for the Financial Times, said: “Sky TV didn’t launch until Sunak was 9, by which point he was already at private school. He came back early from the D-Day commemorations to do this interview. 22 days of this to go folks.”
The interview was already controversial, after it was revealed it was recorded on the day the Prime Minster left D-day commemorations early.
The Prime Minster was heavily criticised for his decision to leave events early, and was forced to apologise.
During the ITV interview, Mr Sunak apologises to Paul Brand for his lateness, saying the “incredible” commemorations in Normandy “all just ran over.”
Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson Sarah Olney said: “This is proof that Rishi Sunak simply didn’t care enough to stay in Normandy.
“How he brushes this off is frankly insulting.
“Rishi Sunak does not deserve to be Prime Minister.
“Honouring the sacrifice of our veterans should be a privilege, instead Sunak treated it as an inconvenience.”
Defence Secretary Grant Shapps suggested the Prime Minister had chosen to miss the international event because no British veterans were there.
He told Sky News: “He was there meeting British veterans. The part that he didn’t attend had no British veterans at it at all.
“He has rightly issued his apology for it.”
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