Rishi Sunak has come under fire for what critics called an “excruciating” exchange with a homeless man.
In footage from his visit to a homeless shelter in London on Friday, the Prime Minister can be heard asking a man he is serving food to: “Do you work in business?”
The man, called Dean, replies: “No, I’m homeless. I’m actually a homeless person.”
UK Pool
Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner shared the clip and wrote: “Excruciating.”
The awkward exchange began when the multimillionaire Prime Minister was serving breakfast to the homeless man, who asked him: “Are you sorting the economy out?”
Dean then said he was interested in business, prompting Mr Sunak to ask him what kind of business.
When Dean replied finance, the Prime Minister said: “I used to work in finance, actually.”
Mr Sunak then asked: “Is that something you’d like to get into?”
(L-R) Steve N Allen, Dr Rakib Ehsan, Belinda De Lucy and Dr Lisa McKenzie
GB News
“Yeah I wouldn’t mind. But, I don’t know, I’d like to get through Christmas first,” the homeless man said.
Mr Sunak asked: “What’s your plan, what are you doing this weekend?”
Dean replied that he was hoping the homeless charity St Mungo’s could help him get into temporary accommodation “so I’m not on the street”.
Reacting to the incident, commentator Lisa McKenzie told Steve N Allen on GB News she was ready for a new prime minister.
“He’s showed so many times that he’s completely out of touch with the British public.
“I’m over him. Let’s have another one!”
Dr McKenzie added: “You can't understand an economy if you don't understand how the poorest people are living. And he clearly doesn’t.”