Rishi Sunak has hit back at billionaires abandoning the Tories by saying they “can afford Labour’s tax rises” and refused to rule out working with Nigel Farage after the election.
In a bruising LBC radio phone-in, the Prime Minister was accused by callers of being a “poundshop Nigel Farage” over his behaviour towards the trans community, and being too rich to relate to food bank users.
He was asked about John Caudwell, Phones4U founder and a former major Tory donor, and Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe throwing their weight behind Sir Keir Starmer’s party.
Mr Sunak replied: “They’re two of Britain’s richest men. They can probably afford Labour’s tax rises.”
The Conservatives are seeking to use tax as a key dividing issue and are stepping up attacks on Labour’s plans in a desperate bid to shift their stubborn double-digit poll deficit.
Cabinet minister Mel Stride earlier said it was “completely wrong” of Mr Caudwell to have called Mr Sunak an “absolute dud”, with the Work and Pensions Secretary pointing to official figures on Wednesday showing inflation falling back to the 2% target for the first time in nearly three years.
Mr Sunak dodged questions about whether he would welcome Mr Farage into the Conservative Party after the election or work with Reform UK.
I’m not focused on after the election. I’m focused on winning this election
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak
“I’m not focused on after the election. I’m focused on winning this election,” the Prime Minister told the radio show.
He gave the same answer when quizzed on reports that Tory leadership hopefuls are already vying to replace him as party leader after the election.
Read MoreSponsoredAmid persistently low poll ratings for the Conservatives, Mr Sunak declined to give his campaign a mark out of 10, saying: “I’m not interested in those kinds of things.”
But Cabinet ministers have been ramping up warnings about a Labour landslide.
Mr Stride said the Opposition could win the “largest majority virtually in the history of this country”, while Chancellor Jeremy Hunt sounded the alarm over Labour being in power for “a very long time” if they get “such a big majority”.
Facing a series of questions about what happens if the Tories are defeated, Mr Sunak insisted he would “of course” still serve for a full parliamentary term as Richmond and Northallerton’s MP.
The Prime Minister was challenged on LBC by one man, who said he is gay and living with HIV, over his behaviour towards the trans community.
How can a Prime Minister who is richer than the King relate to any of our needs and struggles?
Caller in LBC radio phone-in
The caller said “I think you’ve become a poundshop Nigel Farage” and accused Mr Sunak of being “obsessed with divisive culture wars”.
“I’m very sorry to hear you feel that way,” the Prime Minister said.
“I don’t believe that at all. I care very much about making sure people, whatever their background, are respected.”
He also said “sorry” that the Conservatives have been unable to abolish Section 21 so-called no-fault evictions despite promising to do so in their 2019 manifesto.
Mr Sunak was also confronted over the explosion in the use of food banks, with a member of the public asking him: “How can a Prime Minister who is richer than the King relate to any of our needs and struggles?”
When the Tory leader responded that he wants “to get the number down” and pointed to his work providing an “enormous amount of support to everyone” while chancellor during the pandemic, the caller said: “I think it’s an absolute lie that you supported people during Covid.”
Mr Sunak said he would not “apologise” for being “very fortunate in life”.
Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper said: “Rishi Sunak’s phone-in was just an hour-long broadcast about the Conservatives’ dismal record of failure.
“From dental decay and cancer treatment, to his inability to ban no-fault evictions for renters, it’s clear that the Prime Minister is out of time and out of ideas.”
The Prime Minister is continuing his campaign tour with a visit to Suffolk on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Sir Keir and shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves are hitting the campaign trail in Wiltshire.
Ms Reeves denied planning to increase taxes for pensioners and said “many working people do have savings” after she was questioned about Sir Keir’s definition of the term.
It came after the Tories claimed the Labour leader is preparing to target savers after he suggested working people are those who “don’t really have the ability to write a cheque when they get into trouble”.
Ms Reeves told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that “many working people do have savings”, adding: “Working people are people who get their income from going out to work every day, and also pensioners that have worked all their lives and are now in retirement, drawing down on their pensions.”
