Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has been mocked for saying he went without “lots of things” as a child, including “Sky TV”.
However, users online have pointed out that Sunak was born on May 12 1980, meaning he would have been just eight-years-old when Sky TV first launched. However, at this point, the service wasn’t even available fully in the UK. Sky TV began broadcasting with four channels in Europe on February 5 1989 with a future target of arriving in the UK after that.
In an interview with ITV, Sunak was asked how he kept in touch with struggles people face with his personal wealth and what he went without as a child. Sunak claimed he “went without lots of things” and was pressed on what specifically went without before he nervously laughed.
He didn’t answer the question directly again at first before eventually provided the example of Sky TV even though it wasn’t available in the UK for most of his childhood, and only limited channels were available thereafter.
He said: “Like lots of people, there’ll be all sorts of things I would have wanted as a kid that I couldn’t have, famously Sky TV, that was something that we never had growing up actually.”
As people face struggles from a cost of living crisis, his comments were widely mocked online. You can see some examples below.
‘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
'My mate says you have Sky, could you tape Summerslam '93 for me?' pic.twitter.com/yy7t4KhmWh
— Stephen Graham
(@StephenCVGraham) June 12, 2024
This is absolutely hilarious because Sunak was born in 1980 and Sky TV didn't start for *anyone* (even early adopters) until 1989.
pic.twitter.com/cFFQXWNg1P
— Sue Cowley (@Sue_Cowley) June 12, 2024
No Sky TV is hardly being deprived… and it didn’t start until 1990 when he was 9 anyway! So out of touch https://t.co/Xuzzs9hU4G
— Matthew Cox (@SkiptonCoxy) June 12, 2024
I did without Sky TV as a child. Mainly because it didn’t start until 1989.
— Corrinne F (@_Traviata) June 12, 2024
Sunak laments how his family couldn't afford Sky TV as a child ….Sky launched in 1989 with only four channels .The SKY we know today came along in 1998 when Rishi was 18 and about start uni at Oxford…#r4today #bbcbreakfast
— Michael MM (@mickmar29) June 12, 2024
Where to start?
Ignoring the Sky TV thing, which is Avocado Toast for the 40 somethings… The prevalent Tory idea that hard work always = money despite creating an economy where you can break your back working 3 jobs and still need a food bank. https://t.co/6VjVzrbBtQ— Sarah, sauntering vaguely downwards (@Jarmara) June 12, 2024
Sunak’s election campaign began after the PM called a surprise early election for July 4 at Downing Street last month (May 22).
It’s been hit by a series of embossments from the get-go, including his initial speech announcing a general election which has been widely mocked.
During that, the PM was soaked after delivering the speech in pouring rain and was drowned out by a sound system close by playing D:REAM’s ‘Things Can Only Get Better’, which was the election campaign song for Labour in 1997.
In another part of the election campaign, Sunak was photobombed by Lib Dem voters on a boat and over the last week, he’s faced intense criticism for leaving events to mark the anniversary of D-Day early to attend the above ITV interview.
Last month, the Conservative Party suffered historic losses in the UK local elections.
The post Rishi Sunak mocked for saying he “went without” Sky TV as a child appeared first on NME.
