Rishi Sunak has been the UK’s prime minister for more than a year. He took over 10 Downing Street after Liz Truss couldn’t outlast a head of lettuce in the fall of 2022. It does not seem, to me, like Sunak is popular or even respected, but he is seen as a somewhat “steadier hand” than Truss and Boris Johnson. Sunak wants to be loved though – he wants to be a popular prime minister, which is why he made a cutesy Christmas video in 10 Downing. This video has turned into a minor controversy this week. Here it is:
Merry Christmas from Downing Street ???? pic.twitter.com/cr0ZIdQmeR
— Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) December 25, 2023
First of all, does he think that people won’t recognize him if he takes off his tie? Who wears a slim-cut hoodie with a dress shirt and tie?? The Tory brain trust who put this video together did a terrible job, but that’s not the controversy. The controversy is over the “phone call” and Sunak saying “Harry, you’ve got the wrong number,” and then hanging up. It was likely supposed to be a reference to a British journalist named Harry Cole, who recently reported that Sunak’s private number had been leaked. The only reason I know about that Harry Cole story is because People Mag and other outlets explained the reference – if you’re not familiar with British political reporting, you would assume the “Harry” reference is about Prince Harry, arguably the most famous British man named “Harry.” So, now people are once again acting like Prince Harry is desperate to… call Downing Street? Call people in the UK? It makes no sense, but hey, the British prime minister got the attention he was desperately seeking. The Tory brain trust knew what they were doing too. #WrongNumberHarry is trending with derangers as I write this and it’s some of the nastiest projection out there.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
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- Italy, Rome, December 16, 2023 : The Premier U.K., Rishi Sunak, participates at the meeting ‘Atreju 2023’.,Image: 830549317, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: **** World right excluding Italy ****, Model Release: no, Credit line: Stefano Carofei / Agenzia Sintesi / Avalon
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19/12/2023. London, United Kingdom. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak hosts a reception for the British Film Industry in 10 Downing Street.,Image: 831474996, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: This image is for Editorial use purposes only. The Image can not be used for advertising or commercial use. The Image can not be altered in any form.
All images are Crown copyright and re-usable under the Open Government Licence v3.0, except where otherw, Model Release: no, Credit line: Simon Dawson / Avalon
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22/12/2023. Lincoln, United Kingdom. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak meets staff at the Lincolnshire Air Ambulance Headquarters as he meets local heroes ahead of Christmas.,Image: 831962625, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: This image is for Editorial use purposes only. The Image can not be used for advertising or commercial use. The Image can not be altered in any form.
All images are Crown copyright and re-usable under the Open Government Licence v3.0, except where otherw, Model Release: no, Credit line: Simon Dawson / Avalon
