Rishi Sunak went without Sky TV so his parents could send him to private school

[number10bus]

Honestly this has really annoyed me, apart from the fact it's such crap - he came from a family where his parents were a GP and a pharmacist, it's like he's literally thought of the most working class stereotype and applied that. He's so out of touch and I don't know why this one has annoyed me so much but it really has.

I'm not much older than our prime minister and we didn't have one either, or holidays and not much in the way of any luxury items and guess what my parents couldn't afford to send me to private school despite them working very hard too.

Indians value education, of course Rishi’s wantes the best for their children.

It is a race to the bottom in this country.

TBH, there was a lot of snobbery about having Sky TV in the 80s/90s and people saying that if you had satellite dishes on your house, you looked common.

People were talking specifically about when he went to Westminster, so yes.

This. It’s a masterclass in how to throw an election. Not that he was ever in with a chance. I think if a freak occurrence happened and he won he’d be horrified. Like Boris’s face when he won the Brexit vote 😬

Sunak is not the only one without Sky

https://x.com/krishgm/status/1800845516894355622

Even the Queen didn't have Sky TV for a while. I once discussed this with her briefly at a Buckingham Palace media reception many years ago and (its a long story) she told me how difficult she found it trying to record one programme on her video recorder whilst watching another! I told her she should get Sky+ but we didn't think she'd be allowed to put a satellite dish on the roof

Cable TV was a cheaper alternative, if your area had it. My parents had it (after I'd left home) because the analogue signal was rubbish in their area - the cable company knew this and made a killing! It only offered about 10 channels but UK Gold was included at no extra cost, as was the topless weather forecast 😆.

His kids gave up avocado toast for a bit so they could build that heated swimming pool at his house.

As a family, they only go to Starbucks as a weekend treat so they can afford to heat the pool.

They got these self-heating cups instead to help them save money.

What will happen to his pension for life when he does fuck off to America? Given he’s a billionaire and all it will be rather galling when old greedy eyes pockets it and runs.
Bet his flights are booked already.

Oh I remember cable! I loved it - we had it at university. They had it in my uni town but not my home town. I don’t remember any topless weather forecast though!

🙄 He’s totally tone deaf.

But public school in the 1990s was far more affordable. Fees have increased far faster than the rate of inflation. Here’s an article from 2016 - over 25 years, school fees increased by 550% compared to a 200% increase in the cost of consumer goods.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/the-charts-that-shows-how-private-school-fees-have-exploded-a7023056.html

There is no way a GP and pharmacist could afford to send their kids to Winchester now. Back then, yes. They probably couldn’t afford the 6 bedroom house he grew up in either 😂

I went to a similar school and at least 2 of my friends lived in social housing and had parents in not especially well paid jobs eg music teacher. The maximum scholarship was only 33%. There is no way that would be possible now. DC of the clergy got a 10% discount. 😂 at the idea of a vicar sending their kids to public school in 2024. Again, a few of my friends had parents who were vicars/chaplains. Lots of military kids, obviously. Fees were more affordable and in the reach of people with well paid jobs rather than just the super rich.

If his point was that going to Winchester in the 1990s doesn’t mean he came from the super wealthy background that people assume, I suppose he has a point. The disbelief on this thread that a GP and pharmacist could afford the fees, illustrates that.

If he is trying to imply that he came from a humble background and wasn’t very privileged… 😂😂😂 He just wasn’t as privileged as the average 21st century Wykehamist.

In ‘The Crown’, there is an episode where the Queen is complaining to prince William that her TV picture is fuzzy and he says she should get Sky. This was the 90s.

It was on late at night, alternated with the bouncing weather forecast, which was Rusty Gough reading it out while bouncing on a trampoline . The things they got away with in the 90s.

The charts that shows how private school fees have exploded over the past 25 years

To keep the riff raff out.

Don’t the ‘wealthiest’ schools also give the highest bursaries though? Scholarships are usually much lower because they are based upon academic achievement. The private school near me who has wealthy beneficiaries offers a number of 100% bursaries.

Times have indeed changed. I remember a recent thread where someone on a £70k income was asking if people thought they’d be entitled to a bursary 🤣

He’s living proof that if you ‘count your pennies the pounds will look after themselves’. What a man.

We had Sky TV (early 90's) we were 1st in the street to get it. We didn't have carpets, proper bedding, toothpaste & the correct school uniform & lived in a council house but we had SKY! He's trying to reach out to the working/don't work? classes isn't he? He would do better to just acknowledge his privilege.

Ha! We had 6! (+ RTE 1 & 2).

Oh god I remember all of that wasn't it BskyB or something?

give all our children access to that privilege and lets see what happens

We’ve never had Sky. We have a fire stick but have never owned a dish.

At this point, I think Rishi is trying to see just how badly he can lose this election. Maybe he's bet against himself?

My bingo card for his next move now has:

1. Punches David Attenborough in the face
2. Rocks up to the Cenotaph and pisses on it
3. Kicks some golden retriever puppies in front of their mum

I haven't read the full thread. But I will tell you that Rishi Sunak's parents would have made sacrifices in addition to going without sky TV to send all their children to private schools. They were not wealthy themselves. Eg foregoing new clothes, going out for fun etc. it is possible they spent every penny, possibly took out loans, sold land back home etc as their priority was sending their kids to private schools.

And Rishi Sunak made his own money. Because he is a bright man, good with numbers and there would have been an element of luck.

Why does no one acknowledge this? Yes Rishi Sunak was given a good start by his parents but he became wealthy on his own accord.

Yes he did marry a wealthy woman. However, he is wealthy in his own right.

FFS.

That is all.

@Onomatofear yes, the wealthiest schools do give the highest bursaries. I probably should have said that the highest bursary was 33%. They were the same thing at my school, at the time. There were no separate bursaries. “Scholarships” were means tested ie if you won a scholarship, you got a bursary too if you qualified for one.