Rishi Sunak says he doesn't have 'working class friends' in an old clip; video goes viral

By Team Newsable | First Published Jul 11, 2022, 3:30 PM IST

In the footage, Rishi Sunak, who is expected to run for Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, is heard stating, "I have friends who are aristocrats, I have friends who are upper-class, I have friends who are, you know, working-class." "Well, not working class," he corrects himself afterwards.

Indian-origin Rishi Sunak, a British politician and one of the leading contenders for Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, has been chosen as the people's choice for the country's highest office. Despite his popularity in the country and the Conservative Party, an old video of Sunak has generated a stir. A 20-year-old video of Rishi Sunak emerged and went popular on the internet, causing outrage in the country for his apparent classist and racist statements in the brief, 7-second footage. Sunak, 21, appears in a BBC programme from 2001.

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"Well, not working class," he corrects himself afterwards.

"I have friends who are aristocrats, friends who are upper class and friends who are working class....well not WORKING CLASS!" 2001 🙄 pic.twitter.com/5MRVadFcwa

— Kathryn Franklin (@DerbyDuck)

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The video was shared on Twitter by a person called Kathryn Franklin from the United Kingdom and has received over 3 million views since then. "The 'People's Chancellor' in the Making, 2001," the user said in the video caption.

Sunak, who resigned as Chancellor of the Exchequer, is a UK Parliament Member for Richmond (Yorks). He is a Conservative Party member. Apart from his Indian ancestors, he has a deep personal relationship with Akshata Murthy, the daughter of Infosys co-founder and distinguished Indian technology billionaire Narayan Murthy.

Meanwhile, Sunak is experiencing criticism from inside the Conservative Party. A 424-page 'dirty dossier' is making the rounds in Conservative Party WhatsApp groups, with personal assaults on Sunak, calling him a 'schoolboy' and a 'liar,' and claiming he cannot be trusted on tax-related matters.

Also Read | UK PM Boris Johnson agrees to step down: Reports

Sunak was also accused of betraying Boris Johnson when various news sites discovered that Sunak's campaign website domain was registered in December of last year. People have also pointed out that the high-end video could not be put together in such a short amount of time with such modifications.

Sunak, on the other hand, remains one of the frontrunners for No. 10 Downing Street. Other leading candidates include Penny Mordaunt, who, if elected, would be the UK's third female prime minister following Margaret Thatcher and Theresa May - both Conservatives.

Also Read | Boris Johnson quits: How will his replacement be elected?

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