Rishi Sunak’s Latest Video Gets A Lot Wrong, Attracting Both Mockery And Fact Checks

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Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak
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Britain’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak

Rishi Sunak appears to have made yet another social faux pas while trying to promote his latest policies online.

On X, formerly Twitter, the prime minister’s eight-second clip has been torn apart for inaccuracies, for making an everyday task a little strange – and for overall optics of the video.

The PM was seen pouring milk from a pint into a transparent cup of dark liquid, presumably tea or coffee, thus revealing the ”£900″ written on the side of the mug.

A smiling Sunak then walks off camera with his strange cup in hand.

The accompanying caption read: “Pay day is coming. Our second National Insurance cut hits payslips tomorrow.

“It’s worth £900 to someone earning the UK average salary.”

Sunak is alluding to the government’s recent reductions in National Insurance contributions, which he claims is putting more money back in British people’s pockets.

However, this claim has been widely disputed because it does not factor in the impact of fiscal drag.

That’s where tax thresholds do not change in line with inflation and increasing salaries.

People then end up paying more in tax without taking any extra money home.

And so, hours after posting the video and as more than a million people viewed the clip, Sunak was, once again, torn apart in the community notes.

The note read: “When all tax changes are included, the average worker (on approx. £35k) will save only about £340 a year.

“If you earn less than £26k, you will be worse off.”

The note adds a link to fact-checking charity, Full Fact, which has previously pointed out that those earning less than £26,000 a year will be worse off.

Others, of course, spotted that he was using a pint of milk – five days after Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner dubbed him a “pint-sized loser” during PMQs… 

Then there was the optics of the richest ever occupant of No.10, drinking from a cup with ”£900″ written on the side.

After all, Sunak went viral when he was the chancellor for posing with a £180 smart mug in a pre-budget photo op.

Sunak is also no stranger to being slammed for messing up seemingly simple tasks on social media.

He’s previously been criticised for filling up a car which was not even his for a photo op and being unable to use his contactless card at a petrol station.

It’s no surprise then, that he was torn apart for the most simple task of all; the way he makes a hot beverage.