The Tories’ best hope is to keep Sunak away from the camera

Is Rishi Sunak Labour’s not-so-secret weapon in this election campaign? The question has to be asked after Sunak’s latest political gaffe during an interview with ITV, due to be broadcast tonight, in which he is asked to speak about his experiences growing up.

This line of questioning – in the hands of any normal politician – is fertile territory for speaking movingly about early life and family values. But Sunak is no ordinary politician, he is altogether rather extraordinary but not necessarily in a good way. Only in Sunak’s hands could such a soft ball question and easy opportunity be turned into yet another damaging political own goal. 

Asked by the ITV interviewer, Paul Brand, to give an example of something that he grew up without, Sunak said that he went without ‘lots of things’. When pressed to give specific examples, the Prime Minister said this:

‘There’ll be all sorts of things that I would’ve wanted as a kid that I couldn’t have.