Prime Minister Rishi Sunak backtracked on his £1,000 wager with TalkTV host Piers Morgan Tuesday morning, telling the BBC he is “not a betting person” following public backlash.
This reversal came after Sunak was unexpectedly challenged by Morgan during a TalkTV interview to bet on whether the controversial deportation flights to Rwanda taking place before the general election. Sunak, initially agreeing to the bet non-verbally with a handshake and emphasised his dedication to implementing the Rwanda policy. The policy aims at tackling illegal migration by processing claims in the African nation—a plan recently thwarted by the supreme court.
Appearing on BBC Radio 5 Live, Sunak admitted to being “taken totally by surprise” by the bet proposal. He said that his intention was to underline his commitment to getting the policy achieved, rather than to gamble on its success.
The prime minister said: “The point I was trying to get across – I was taken totally by surprise – was actually about the Rwanda policy and about tackling illegal migration, which is something I care deeply about. Obviously people have strong views on this and I was just underlining my absolute commitment to this policy, my desire to get it through parliament, up and running because I believe you need to have the deterrent.”
He continued: “I believe you have got to have a deterrent, you have got to have somewhere you can send people so that if they come here illegally they won’t be
Opposition parties, however, have led the criticism of the move. Labour MP Jonathan Ashworth lambasted Sunak for being “out of touch” with the public’s financial struggles, while the SNP’s Kirsty Blackman condemned the bet as “shameful” and possibly in breach of the ministerial code, reporting him to the ethics chief.
The prime minister, responding to concerns over his understanding of the public’s cost-of-living crisis, stressed his priority of halving inflation and expressed sympathy for families struggling to afford basic necessities, such as baby formula.