To think Sunak should just own being rich?

@OrwellianTimes

Son of a GP in the 90’s. He would have been better off than at least 90% of the population. Saying he went without is really blind to the realities of people on minimum wages.

Perhaps, but he didn't say he "went without" but that he "went without Sky", which is not the same thing. Not great media skills but a perfectly reasonable response to the question.

In fact, I'd go further. I'd defend the right of someone on minimum wage to say the "go without", even though in global terms they are in the top 7% (yes this is PPP-adjusted, £20,000 p.a.). Top 7% for a single adult. Top 16% if one child, top 30% if that's £20k for two adults two children.

It clearly made sense for his frame of reference, which is the same way we all think.

(Again, not great media maybe, but not indicative of a moral flaw).

He might be academically able,but has zero emotionally empathy , common sense or ability to relate to people outside of his own social sphere imo.

wealth isn’t the issue. It’s how alienated he is from society who aren’t his financial equal. He has no real desire to learn or really listen to the people he is supposed to represent or hopes to keep representing. Two of the most socially aware, quietly philanthropic , caring couples I’ve ever met, are also the wealthiest people I have ever met. Both can relate to and treat everyone as their equals, are genuinely interested in everyone they meet, are generous with their time and their money and use both to benefit others. Their grown up kids, while benefiting from their parents wealth, are similar to their parents in attitude and wish to share their privilege out of a wish that society was fairer and do what they can to do something about it.

I think it’s more about personality than wealth. Sunak seems obsessed with wealth for its own sake and can’t hide his self-serving motives for wanting to be and to remain in power.

He was brought up in more wealth than any single person I know and I know 100s of people. His parents had at least the equivalent of £70k spare every single year (every year!!) to send to children to Winchester. That's double the national average household income. Without talking about being also able to afford 2 other children who weren't sent to private school (as they didn't have penises).
No one I know has £70k spare even as a one off. Most don't have £7K a year and lots £70 a year.

All of this. I have no interest in his wealth. Either he's up to the job or he isn't.

This is absolutely untrue. Lots of people resented him for his wealth right from the start. He was instantly perceived to be 'out of touch' and part of the elite. I think people sometimes underestimate how deep the hatred and jealousy of rich people can run. Where I'm from, nice cars would regularly get keyed just because they were a bit fancy.

“look I am very wealthy, I recognise that creates a barrier between me and ordinary people who are struggling, but I’m competent, I do care about people with less, and I have a great team of ministers and advisers with a range of diverse backgrounds and experiences”

I think this is the approach the public had to him to start with- no issue with the wealth provided he was competent and seemed to engage with people. Now he's proved incompetent and unable to engage, some people also resent the wealth.

He just isn't much good at being a politician. Imagine thinking it was a good idea to leave the D Day event to give that interview.

Yeah, I wouldn't hold the USA's social landscape up as being something to aspire to.

Absolutely

If I was him then I would be very reluctant to acknowledge how rich I was. Like it or not, a significant proportion of this country's population don't like rich people because they are jealous. They don't care if you made your money curing cancer or solving some other problem for mankind, they don't think anybody should be richer than them. Rishi would be mad to not downplay his wealth.

What's interesting is how in the States being rich appears to be something to be admired as an achievement and an asset whereas in the UK it seems to be something you should be ashamed of.

I think that is changing slightly, as people cop on.

A lot (not all, but enough) of the rich in todays society are there not because they built a better mousetrap, but because their ancestors had enough wealth to back someone who did build a better mousetrap and then devoted the rest of their living years to making sure they held onto as much of that wealth as possible.

Rinse and repeat.

No one got rich by hard work. Well, not their own.

Son of a GP in the 90’s. He would have been better off than at least 90% of the population. Saying he went without is really blind to the realities of people on minimum wages.

He didn't say he was deprived at all. Funny how some people have such selective hearing.
He was asked about sacrifices his parents made growing up, things he went without. ONE example was sky TV. He said there were many things. Of course I doubt he was eating beans out of a can or anything, but honestly...there are plenty of people who would put Sky TV ahead of other priorities and that's their choice I guess.

He doesn't care about people.
He cares so little that he can't be bothered to make the mental effort to think about what it might be like to be a homeless man and to realize that a homeless man is not going to be in business.
He's a pampered princeling with his head stuffed up his own arse.

Crabs in a bucket is SUCH a good way of putting this

To be fair I do think most people want equality of opportunity. But the way many want to achieve it is by bringing down the privileged rather than helping the most disadvantaged. Even when evidence shows that approach harms everyone overall (eg wanting higher tax rates even if that means top earners move abroad and we lose their taxes/spending).

OP I think I agree with you

I'd be OK with him saying "I'm fortunate, I know that, but I want everyone to feel confident that they can afford to put food on the table, get good healthcare etc. And I can deliver that for the country"

Of course, this would only work if people actually believed him......

Because this country has a little island mentality where the only way people feel good is by dragging others down, rather than pulling themselves up. People want handouts and equality of outcome, not equality of opportunity. Crabs in a bucket.

Because he is not politically savvy. In fact he’s politically incompetent. He has no clue. That’s why he makes even Starmer look good.

Good God just when you think he can’t get any worse…

Shame the Monty Python team aren’t still around

”When we was kids we was so poor that one Christmas we couldn’t go to St Barts.”

”You think you had it hard? Me and my brother had to share our pony.One rode int Pony Club events and t’other had to ride around the estate ont quad bike.”

”Share a pony? Us kids had to share us skis. And poles, and goggles. We had to pretend we were American snowboarders from Colorado . How about you Rishi?”

“Well, actually, we were so poor we didn’t have Sky, which is why nowadays I fully understand how hard life is for ordinary people who aren’t millionaires and have to get their food delivered from a food bank or Waitrose instead of Fortnums.”

What's interesting is how in the States being rich appears to be something to be admired as an achievement and an asset whereas in the UK it seems to be something you should be ashamed of.

Sunak from what I can tell had a pretty solid middle class upbringing. Sure he wasn't starving or bought up in poverty but on the other hand he wasn't swanning around in private jets either.

His parents were a GP and a Pharmacist. Yes he went to private school. But I can understand how with two siblings affording that for all of the kids would have been hard work (if they did all go to private school) and might have involved some level of sacrifice on their part.

Absolutely a hundred percent. We didn’t have sky TV 🙄 well boo hoo to you! I actually find it insulting when people say they value education so put their money into private school. I bloody value education, I’m a teacher but my kids don’t go to Eton OR have sky TV poor deprived things.

How doesn’t he own it?

He unashamedly lives a multi millionaire lifestyle.