The prime minister insisted he is “not a betting man” after accepting a £1,000 bet with a TV host that he would deport asylum seekers to Rwanda.
Rishi Sunak’s controversial wager sparked anger amongst the public and MPs yesterday, as he was accused of betting on other’s misfortunes.
Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the SNP have all condemned Mr Sunak’s hand-shake with TalkTv host Piers Morgan – with the Scottish national party reporting Mr Sunak over a potential breach of the ministerial code.
The SNP’s Westminster leader Stephen Flynn said: “The lives of some of the most vulnerable people on the planet reduced to a crude bet. It’s just a game to these people”, while Labour said the bet was “deeply distasteful” and showed Mr Sunak is “totally out of touch with working people”.
The lives of some of the most vulnerable people on the planet reduced to a crude bet. It’s just a game to these people. Depraved. https://t.co/dqMTIIeD5I
— Stephen Flynn MP (@StephenFlynnSNP) February 5, 2024
Mr Morgan and Mr Sunak agreed the £1000 bet on the grounds that the prime minister he would be able to get people “on the planes” to Rwanda.
This morning, Mr Sunak has admitted he was taken aback by the wager, though stopped short of admitting it was a mistake.
BBC 5 Live’s presenter, Rachel Burden, asked the prime minister how he could defend the bet “when people are struggling to pay their food and fuel bills in this country”.
She also pointed out that the bet was worth more than the three cost of living payments for those on low incomes combined, asking the prime minister if he “really understood the financial pressures [people] are facing”.
Mr Sunak said: “Well if i’m being totally honest, I’m not a betting person and I was taken totally by surprise in the middle of that interview”.
Though he refused to admit it was a mistake, he said:
“The point I was trying to get across was actually about the Rwanda policy and about tackling illegal migration”.
He added: “I just was underlying my absolute commitment to this policy and my desire to get it through.”
The SNP have since called for a probe into the incident. The party’s cabinet office spokesperson, Kirsty Blackman MP has written to the government’s ethics adviser, Laurie Magnus and cabinet secretary, Simon Case.
NEW@theSNP has reported Rishi Sunak over a potential breach of the ministerial code by accepting a £1,000 bet that the first plane to #Rwanda will leave before the next election. pic.twitter.com/Lhrv1bOy7R
— Paul McNamara (@PGMcNamara) February 5, 2024
She said: “It is shameful and grotesque that Rishi Sunak, one of the richest men in the UK, is betting money on whether he can ship vulnerable refugees abroad in time for the election”.
Ms Blackman also claimed that it “appears to be a clear breach of the ministerial code and the Nolan Principles of Public Life” and that “the bet falls below the high standards people should expect of those in public life – not least the most powerful person in Westminster.”
Mr Sunak’s flagship Rwanda bill has long proved problematic as it now makes its way through the Lords.
The bill suffered a major rebellion from Mr Sunak’s own colleagues, with 60 Tory MPs signing amendments to the legislation.
Though the plans did pass successfully through the Commons, it has become a major point of contention both in the party and in Sunak’s premiership.
Even if the bill passes both houses with no amendments, question marks remain over whether flights will be able to take off for Rwanda by the election. It is likely deportations will still face legal challenges as individual migrants are prepared for removal from Britain.