‘I’m financially fortunate’: Awkward moment Rishi Sunak is asked if he is ‘stinking rich’ during Talk TV interview with Piers Morgan… and dodges saying whether he’s a billionaire
- Rishi Sunak gave interview to Piers Morgan to mark 100 days since becoming PM
- Dodged saying whether he is a billionaire in awkward exchange over his wealth
Rishi Sunak has dodged saying whether he is a billionaire in an awkward clash with Piers Morgan.
The PM was challenged on being ‘stinking rich’ during a Talk TV interview to mark 100 days since he took charge in No10.
After a painful pause, Mr Sunak – renowned as one of the richest MPs – conceded he is ‘financially fortunate’. But he insisted that he what mattered was his ‘values’ and he had been brought up to work ‘incredibly hard’.
Political opponents have seized on Mr Sunak’s wealth in a bid to cast doubt on whether he can understand the struggles of ordinary people during the cost-of-living crisis.
As well as his own successful career in investment banking, the premier’s wife is the daughter of one of India’s richest men.
Rishi Sunak has dodged saying whether he is a billionaire in an awkward clash with Piers Morgan
During the interview, Morgan asked Mr Sunak: ‘You’re stinking rich, right?’
After an awkward silence, the PM replied: ‘Well I think most people would consider I’m financially fortunate, yes.’
But he went on: ‘I think what people need to understand is what my values are. I think that’s the most important thing.
‘That’s how I was brought up. And I was brought up by parents who emigrated to this country, and they came with an immigrant mindset whereby what they were focused on was working as humanly hard as possible – sacrificing everything so that their kids could have a better future, and that we could fit in and integrate into British life well.
‘That’s what I was raised. I was raised to work incredibly hard, to do the right thing, to look after people that were less fortunate than yourselves…
‘Those are the value that I bring to this job.’
Mr Sunak said: ‘Am I financially lucky today? I am… most people would consider I am very financially fortunate.’
Morgan pressed Mr Sunak to give a rough figure for his wealth, asking whether is is a billionaire.
But Mr Sunak said: ‘I’m not going get into that.’
‘What matters about that is not how much is in my bank account, what matters are my values and what actions I take for the country.’
The PM was challenged on being ‘stinking rich’ during a Talk TV interview to mark 100 days since he took charge in No10
