Rishi Sunak’s upbeat view on economy stokes claims he is out of touch
Rishi Sunak has been accused of being out of touch with ordinary families after claiming the economy was looking up and people’s household incomes were “hugely outperforming” expectations despite the cost of living crisis.
On a flight to Japan for the G7 summit of world leaders, the prime minister said that despite consumers struggling with high inflation and the cost of food and energy, there were “lots of signs that things are moving in the right direction” with the economy.
Sunak also risked a row with his home secretary, Suella Braverman, by defending record numbers of people coming to the UK legally and refusing to commit to the Tories’ 2019 manifesto pledge to reduce net migration.
The chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, waded into the internal dispute, saying the government would maintain a “pragmatic” approach to immigration despite official data due next week being expected to show the numbers have increased by more than 700,000.
Sunak also insisted that Brexit was working by citing cheaper beer and sanitary products. It came as three big global carmakers called on the UK government to renegotiate the Brexit deal, saying rules on where parts are sourced threatened the future of the British automotive industry.
However, it was the prime minister’s upbeat assessment of the economy, when so many households are still feeling the pinch and could continue to do so for some time, that prompted criticism.
Labour’s Treasury spokesperson, James Murray, said: “Almost every word that comes out of the prime minister’s mouth shows how utterly out of touch he is and disconnected from the reality of life for working people in our country.”
Sunak told reporters on the way to the summit: “Economic optimism is increasing, consumer confidence is
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