British PM Rishi Sunak criticised for asking homeless man if he ‘works in business’
- When Sunak, one of the UK’s wealthiest people, asked if he would like to ‘get into’ finance, the man replied that he’d ‘like to get through Christmas first’
- Labour MPs called the exchange ‘excruciating’, criticising the prime minister for being ‘out of touch’ with ordinary people
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak faced criticism on Saturday for seeming out of touch with ordinary people when he asked a homeless man at a charity whether he “worked in business” and wanted to get into the finance industry.
Sunak, a former Goldman Sachs banker and one of Britain’s wealthiest people, was serving breakfast at a homeless shelter in London on Friday, when he began chatting with a man who identified himself as Dean.
“Do you work in business?” the prime minister asked the man at one point during the conversation, as he handed him a plate of sausages, toast and eggs.
“No, I’m homeless. I’m actually a homeless person,” the man replied.
Angela Rayner, deputy leader of the opposition Labour Party, posted a clip of the exchange on Twitter, calling it “excruciating”, while another Labour lawmaker, Bill Esterson, called Sunak “out of touch”.