Sunak hits out at political ‘smears’ over his wealth

Rishi Sunak has hit back at critics of his wealth, as he rejected the idea voters saw him as out of touch.

The Prime Minister, who with his wife Akshata Murty has an estimated net worth of £529 million, is one of the richest men to ever enter Downing Street.

But critics and opponents have argued he is unable to understand the pressures facing households after months of high inflation and cost-of-living pressures.

In an interview with GB News, the Prime Minister was asked if he worried his wealth meant he did not understand the worries of ordinary voters.

“I never heard that during the pandemic when I was chancellor,” he responded. “When I stood up and announced the furlough scheme, no one said that then.

“Because I think fundamentally people judge you by the content of your character and your actions and that’s how people will judge me.

“My family emigrated to this country without very much. My parents worked really hard to provide a better life for me and my brother and sister. I worked really hard for everything that I’ve got.”

He added: “That’s the type of country I believe in and if people want to use that as a political smear or attack I actually think it speaks volumes about their lack of ambition for our country than it does about me and my background.”

In a likely indication of the coming election campaign, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer last week claimed the Prime Minister doesn’t “get what a cost-of-living crisis feels like” and doesn’t “get Britain”.

Mr Sunak has also been mocked for his luxury private swimming pool and his frequent use of helicopters for sometimes short-distance journeys.