Sunak exposed for the disingenuous rat he is in on the campaign trail over Covid response

It’s day nine of the general election campaign and soon-to-be “former prime minister” Sunak has scuppered any pretence there ever was that he’s a decent, down-to-earth, every-day bloke. Not that he had anyone buying this anyway – as the Canary’s Steve Topple pointed out about his recent stunt with him:

trying to be like the common people with a £750 quid monogrammed rucksack

I thought it would be nice to wear my £750 monogrammed backpack when visiting Cornwall – one of the poorest areas of the UK. pic.twitter.com/86VgZFfA27

— Parody Rishi Sunak (@Parody_PM) May 29, 2024

Sunak once more fielded questions from workers dragged into the prime minister’s general election campaign shambles. This time however, there were no Tory councillor plants in sight. Instead, one worker gave Sunak a lot more than he bargained for and showed him up for the disingenuous cunt he is.

Sunak’s hollow apologies

At a factory near Milton Keynes, a worker recounted to Sunak how he’d lost his mum during the height of the pandemic in 2020. He explained that he and his brothers had not been able to be with their mother in the hospital. Then, the worker put his earnest question to Sunak:

You probably remember that was the month all the parties were going on in Downing Street.

The month after, you attended a gathering where you got a fixed penalty notice. My question is how can anyone trust you or the party after things like this?

Sunak started out spluttering hollow apologies in what can only be his desperately pathetic prime ministerial death throes:

Well, I’m really sorry that you lost your mum, and particularly in those circumstances, because it wasn’t easy for so many people during the pandemic, the impact it had on everyone’s life.

I can’t imagine what it must have been for you not to be able to be with her at that time. It’s really tough.

I’m sorry for what was going on in Downing Street. For my part, I apologise that I showed up to a meeting earlier.

At this point, Sunak pivoted. Faux empathy expended, he turned to bragging for the cameras in election deflection mode instead:

As you know, I was working on things to help you and your business, and many other families like that.

In fact, it was probably in that same period of time that you got to know me as chancellor. Most of you didn’t know who I was before then and I popped up on your TV screens, announced the furlough scheme… hopefully some of you here benefited from some of the support that we put in place.

Partygate and Eat Out to Help Out

People on X have understandably expressed their contempt for Sunak’s shallow reply:

I’m struggling to find the words to articulate my feelings about this response. The lack of empathy, the insincerity and the blatant attempt to turn it into another opportunity to remind us about his part in furlough. Sickening 🤬 #ToriesOut #generalelection https://t.co/uxmSWdTUEI

— Kathryn de Prudhoe 🌹💙😷💉🇪🇺 (@de_prudhoe) May 30, 2024

Others were incensed at the way he rapidly skirted over his role in Partygate:

Make this go viral. Sunak partied and lied about it. Sunak pushed Eat out to Help out on the country which led to a lengthy lockdown and thousands of avoidable deaths. Sunak handed out billions in dodgy covid contracts to Conservative politicians and their cronies. https://t.co/5ldqmaBzfH

— Simon Scarrow (@SimonScarrow) May 31, 2024

People haven’t forgotten that Sunak received a FPN for attending an illegal gathering while their loved ones died alone. He replies that he introduced the furlough scheme, so can be trusted to look after people, and doesn’t answer the ‘one rule for us, another for them’ concern. https://t.co/RDGze8Jdly

— caroline slocock (@carolineslocock) May 30, 2024

Public: How can we trust you after my mum died whilst you attended illegal gatherings?

Rishi: Did you see me on TV, I was amazing during the pandemic…. I just arrived early to that meeting where I got fined for breaking the law….

🤦🤦🤦 https://t.co/pndN5am3tk

— NAG 🇺🇦 (@Kingwolf84) May 30, 2024

What’s more, many were aghast at his sudden tone-switch to big up his pandemic response. This was particularly the case on his shameless name-drop of the furlough scheme:

‘Your mum died… how sad… oh well, but at least I gave furlough to some people and killed more through eat out to help out’ . Awful response from a truly awful man. #toriesout https://t.co/hB9MmXFGbG

— FFJoe (@FFScout_Joe) May 30, 2024

Jesus Christ the man isn’t even able to reply to an emotional story about someone’s death in an even vaguely human way and can’t go 15 seconds into a reply without “I introduced the furlough scheme and saved your company”.

Utter scum. Get them out. https://t.co/CYEgPJR9Av

— Russell 🏳️‍🌈 (@Medic_Russell) May 30, 2024

Lies upon lies.
I am waiting for some commentator or opponent to pint out to Sunak that furlough was NOT SUNAK’S IDEA .IT HAPPENED ALL OVER EUROPE.
And he deliberately excluded millions from it.
All about him .#NeverVoteConservative https://t.co/T8k4ncDMXr

— Simon Gilbert ⚒️ (@simon_gunyah) May 30, 2024

Because this would of course be the same furlough scheme that excluded millions, “starved workers back to work”, and abruptly ended at the same time the government was ditching the Universal Credit uplift. Yes, that furlough scheme.

Moreover, on the matter of Sunak’s ‘hard’ work as chancellor, posters were quick to raise the deadly legacy of his flagship Eat Out to Help Out scheme:

Prof. Patrick Vallance (CSA) confirms that eat out to help out was started against SAGE advice. Ministers involved in the decision including Sunak (the proponent) and Johnson knew that there would be a significant consequential increase in Covid-19 deaths pic.twitter.com/mVzFbg62Xr https://t.co/IJzvzIXVFL

— Peter Kay (@theonlypeterkay) May 30, 2024

In fact, Sunak’s glib sympathies gave social media ammo to rehash a recent particular revelation on just that from the Covid inquiry. On 23 May, cabinet secretary Simon Case told the inquiry that, alongside the government’s two key scientific advisors, he’d been in the dark about the scheme too:

Hugo Keith, “Eat Out To Help Out”

Simon Case, “Yep”

HK, “Were you aware that Chris Whitty and Patrick Vallance were not approached for their views on the scheme?”

SC, “No. And I wasn’t aware of EOTHO until it was announced either.. It didn’t come through the covid task force… pic.twitter.com/qo1u1qbrBA

— Farrukh (@implausibleblog) May 23, 2024

Fake compassion

Perhaps Sunak is banking on the public developing short-term memory loss between now and the general election. If only there were a terrible virus he could spread to unleash a devastating wave of chronic illness with key symptoms of cognitive dysfunction. One with the bonus of mass disablement and death to whittle away those who’d vote him out, no less.

Granted too, the media cycle has already moved on to bigger, more important business, like:

Ed Davey falling off a paddleboard.
Ed Davey free-wheeling down a hill.
Ed Davey riding a rubber-ring down a waterslide.

Feigning compassion isn’t something the Tories do well, period. However, millionaire Sunak in robo-remorse mode should see him lose the keys to Number 10. quicker than the despicable shithead can say “but, furlough”.

Feature image via the Independent