Rishi Sunak’s latest party political broadcast has just gone viral – for all the wrong reasons.
The prime minister decided to release a short video on YouTube called “Rishi Explains: The Plan for our Economy” on Wednesday night, where he poses with a flipboard.
The clip, starts with the “2022 context” that was already in place when Sunak got into Downing Street, delves into his five priorities of 2023 – only one of which he delivered by the end of the year – and then dips into how the economy is (slowly) recovering from the cost of living crisis.
He also finds time to have a go at Labour, saying it will take the country “back to square one” by either borrowing or raising taxes if it gets into power.
It’s worth noting that last autumn, the Tories took the UK’s tax burden to its highest level since records began 70 years ago.
Although just two minutes and 45 seconds long, the clip was more than long enough for the internet to seize its chance and turn the video into the perfect meme – not by paying attention to the content, but by editing the blank canvas of the flipboard.
Of course, even before the clip had been released, some accounts of social media knew what was coming.
Dear Politicians.
Never EVER stand alongside a plain white sheet of paper. #rishisunak#flipchart#ToryChaos#whiteboardpic.twitter.com/nSlLtp9bBt
— ɥɔᴉʍpuɐsɯɐɾ (@jamsandwich) February 7, 2024
Someone on his team needs to save this idiot from himself. pic.twitter.com/NObeLC87T7
— Ian Dunt (@IanDunt) February 7, 2024
And the edits, which flooded social media throughout the evening, were nothing short of brutal, reminding Sunak of some of the more unflattering moments from his time in the public eye.
That included his loss to Liz Truss in the Conservative leadership race after Boris Johnson stepped down in 2022.
— Iain Crawford🃏 (@icrawford17) February 7, 2024
HIs status as the wealthiest inhabitant of No.10 Downing Street ever.
— Alison Bunce (@BattyBunce) February 7, 2024
The added component for his 2022 context page – which Sunak did actually campaign for himself...
— Colin the Dachshund (@DachshundColin) February 7, 2024
And his ongoing struggles to win over the public….
"Look, if I can just explain it to people one more time, maybe they'll understand…" pic.twitter.com/a58aOtfbIZ
— Mikey Smith (@mikeysmith) February 7, 2024
The terrible week he’s already had – he drew intense backlash for making a £1,000 bet with Piers Morgan that he would get a plane full of asylum seekers deported to Rwanda before the next general election, and attracted further ire after a trans jibe at Keir Starmer in PMQs backfired.
The week’s not over yet pic.twitter.com/LYTYwZCrq4
— HappyToast★ (@IamHappyToast) February 7, 2024
Labour also joined in, and alluded to the ongoing cost of living crisis which has erupted in recent years with its own caption.
This house looks like it’s just considered the prospect of five more years of the Tories pic.twitter.com/fYLQD21RTH
— Labour Press (@labourpress) February 7, 2024
While shadow health secretary Wes Streeting took a pop at the NHS waiting lists.
— Wes Streeting MP (@wesstreeting) February 7, 2024
Others made references to the satirical character, broadcaster Alan Partridge….
— Adam Bienkov (@AdamBienkov) February 7, 2024
…. and to the sitcom characters in Father Ted, too.
— Hughes-on-the-Wold (@NotThatHughes) February 7, 2024
But, perhaps the most cutting take was just the simplest one.
— 🕊 🐾 I G O R 🐾 🕊 (@Igor_N_) February 7, 2024