Rishi Sunak has hit back at billionaires for abandoning the Conservatives, saying he could “pay Labour’s tax increases” and did not rule out working with Nigel Farage after the election.
In a scathing LBC radio telephone interview, the Prime Minister was accused by callers of being a “cheap Nigel Farage” over his attitude to the transgender community and too rich to engage with food bank users.
He was asked about the efforts of Phones4U founder and former major Conservative donor John Caldwell and Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe for Sir Keir Starmer’s party.
Mr Sunak replied: “They are the two richest people in the UK. They could probably survive Labour’s tax increases.”
The Prime Minister also claimed Labour “want to raise everyone’s taxes massively” as he stepped up his attack on his rival’s plans in a desperate attempt to close a stubborn double-digit poll gap with the Conservatives.
After visiting the Sizewell B nuclear power station, the governor said falling inflation to the target of 2% was a “very positive step”.
“And it’s because this plan worked that we were able to start cutting people’s taxes,” he told the station.
“In contrast, Labor would reverse the progress we’ve made and dramatically increase taxes for everyone. I don’t want to see that happen.”
Sir Keir Starmer accused Sunak of “talking nonsense” about Labour’s tax reform proposals, telling reporters during a campaign visit to Wiltshire that the Prime Minister should “stop lecturing people about the economy”.
He said Mr Caldwell’s switch of party support was a “serious” move “because he believes we are the party of growth and wealth creation”.
Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves said: “If Rishi Sunak wants to undermine him then that’s up to him, but we’re really proud to have the backing of a former Conservative donor and one of our country’s most successful entrepreneurs.”
Speaking on the radio show, Mr Sunak avoided questions about whether he would welcome Mr Farage back into the Conservative party after the election or work with Reform UK.
“I am not focused on what will happen after the election. I am focused on winning this election,” the prime minister said.
He gave the same answer when asked about reports that Conservative leadership candidates are already vying to succeed him as leader after the election.
With the Conservative Party’s poll ratings continuing to slump, Mr Sunak refused to rate his own election campaign out of 10, saying “I’m not interested in that sort of thing.”
But ministers have stepped up warnings about a Labour landslide victory.
Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride said the Opposition could win “virtually the biggest majority in the history of this country”, while Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt warned that a “majority of that size” would see Labour in power for a “very long time”.
Faced with a series of questions about what would happen if the Conservatives were defeated, Mr Sunak insisted he would “of course” serve his full term as MP for Richmond and Northallerton.
The Prime Minister was criticised on LBC by a man who claimed to be gay and HIV positive for his attitude towards the transgender community.
“I think you’ve become a cheap Nigel Farage,” the caller said, accusing Mr Sunak of being “obsessed with a divisive culture war”.
“I am very sorry that you feel that way,” the Prime Minister said.
“I don’t think so at all. I care very much about making sure people of all backgrounds are respected.”
He also said it was “disappointing” that the Conservatives had failed to repeal so-called no-fault evictions under Article 21, despite promising to abolish it in their 2019 manifesto.
After 14 years of Tory chaos, people’s lives are getting worse.
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— Labour Party (@UKLabour) June 19, 2024
Mr Sunak was also criticised for the sudden rise in food bank use, with one member of the public asking: “How can a chancellor who is richer than the King understand our needs and hardships?”
When the Conservative leader responded that he wanted to “get the numbers down” and pointed to his own efforts as Chancellor of the Exchequer to provide “enormous support to everyone” during the pandemic, the caller said: “I think it’s a complete lie to say that we’ve supported people through the coronavirus pandemic.”
Mr Sunak said he would “make no apologies” for having been “very fortunate in my life”.
Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper said: “Rishi Sunak’s phone interview was nothing more than an hour-long broadcast about the Conservative party’s dismal record of failure.”
“From treating tooth decay and cancer to failing to ban no-fault evictions of renters, it’s clear the Prime Minister has neither the time nor the ideas.”
Meanwhile, Sir Keir has broadened the definition of the word “working man” and described himself as a “working man”.
It comes after the Conservatives claimed the Labour leader was preparing to target savers after the leader previously suggested workers “don’t really have the ability to write cheques in times of trouble”.
Sir Keir said: “Of course our definition includes people with savers,” adding that the Conservative attack had “backfired spectacularly in showing how out of touch with reality they are”.