Politics

Rishi Sunak lets ‘man of the people’ guise slip with football comments

Rishi Sunak found the back of his own net with a footballing gaffe, wrongly looking forward to his team playing Manchester United this weekend when they are in fact facing Leicester City.

The Southampton FC fan’s fixture confusion came a day after it was pointed out his choice of McDonald’s breakfast was taken off the menu more than two years ago.

Having branded himself an “underdog” in the Tory leadership race, the former chancellor was asked at the Manchester hustings how as a Saints fan how he would get back to winning ways.

“I’m going to be unpopular for saying it here, starting by beating United this weekend,” he said.

Southampton, the city of Mr Sunak’s birth, are not due to play Manchester United until August 27.

The candidate, a self-described “massive football fan”, to become the next prime minister has previously said he would be a “very happy man” if he could run his club.

Related: Truss looks to have one foot in No 10 following latest polling figures

Jack Peat

Jack is a business and economics journalist and the founder of The London Economic (TLE). He has contributed articles to VICE, Huffington Post and Independent and is a published author. Jack read History at the University of Wales, Bangor and has a Masters in Journalism from the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

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