to not agree with people criticising sunak for the fact that his wife is richer than the queen

[MrsLargeEmbodied]

he is a tory,
he is not even labour

whether he and his wife are rich should not matter

Someone so privileged should not be public service looming after the economy that affects us all. He has NO idea of what it’s like be ordinary or struggling when it comes to finances a
That does matter.

And people aren’t angry because his wife is rich they’re angry because she is earning money directly from Russia when her husband is advising everyone else not to continue to do business with Russia.

His wife has not worked a day in her life for that money. It is fully generated by her family back in India and/or her slice of the family pie (and not even one of the bigger slices - that pie is huuuge!!).

However, she would have had it even if she had never met and married him. It has nothing to do with his behaviour or choices. Probably less so than all the other wealthy Tories with their discreet inter spousal wealth transfers.

Because he so blatantly has no concept of the reality of poverty. How else, as Chancellor, could you take away the fuel cap and think that a repayable loan of £150 will make it any easier to pay the bills? And make out that reducing national insurance will help over 65s and those on benefits who don't pay NI? And do all of that at the same time as not bothering to pursue billions lost in furlough fraud, and making sure that the most lucrative overpriced government contracts go to your party's benefactors?

YABU

He's out of touch.

Lots of people don't know how other people live and how a small amount is a big deal for them, however as an elected politician it is one of your jobs to learn and learn damn fast.

The fact he stated in more than one interviews his family has a choice of breads is grating to even people who can afford to and do buy different loaves. This includes other politicians regardless of party.

Then he didn't know how to pay for fuel or even have the sense to ask which card reader to use.

@PegasusReturns

And people aren’t angry because his wife is rich they’re angry because she is earning money directly from Russia when her husband is advising everyone else not to continue to do business with Russia.

Yes, he can and should make an effort to address that one and make amends.

In any case, due to the new economic climate, his chances of becoming PM have gone from pretty high to close to nil within the space of weeks.

@deedeemegadoodoo

Why would a man from one of the richest families in the world want to do a job (MP, Cabinet Member etc) that pays a salary that is chicken feed to him?

This is the real question!

As he’s shown by allowing bankers and millionaires to get away with millions of taxes and clawing it instead from middle class and working class families, he does not give a damn about anyone who isn’t rich.

@MrsLargeEmbodied

he is a tory, he is not even labour

whether he and his wife are rich should not matter

he's not even, a velociraptor either

whether they are jurassic should not be a bother

Oh and if you are one of his SPADs doing some anecdotal research on him, make sure he's aware that some of us know elected politicians at different levels in his own party who are in despair at his own actions considering he is suppose to be extremely intelligent.

For me it’s not so much the ‘out of touch’ thing that’s a problem, it’s the fact that with such a huge amount of money in his family he is bound to have numerous conflicts of interest that he has seemingly not thought to declare (ie. The issues with Russian links). I don’t particularly care if politicians come from money - they can’t help it - and I don’t think they should have to despise any luxury to be in the cabinet; I do think they need to conspicuously and scrupulously demonstrate their commitment to making unbiased policy decisions (insofar as that is ever possible).

I don't care how rich his wife is. What I care about is she was making money off continuing to invest in a company that was trading in Russia, and her husband was telling everyone else not to. It's one rule for us, one for them - again.

And the ministerial code requires that he declares his wife's business interests.

He has absolutely no concept of the impact his decisions have on the majority of people in this country.

And what in earth does where Kier Starmer was educated have to do with any of this?!!

As PP have said the interesting question is why does he do his job for (to him) peanuts? So he can make himself, his family and his friends richer IMO. Same for JRM.

This. I just don't "get" him and his motivations
Power
Do you think any of the cabinet do the job for the salary?.....most of them could earn more in industry with the exception of Nadine Dorris who I don't know how she managed to get 'a' job let alone one in government, they do it for power, standing and influence and of course ego.

eaction to @PastMyBestBeforeDate who commented starmer didnt go to a public school and knows what life is for ordinary people
Keir Starmer went to Reigate Grammar school which was a state school went he started. It went independent while he was there but he never had to pay fees.
There really isn't a comparison between that and Eton or Westminster

His wife would have been irrelevant if he'd not tried to pretend he was filling up a Kia ceed or whatever the fuck family car he was trying to pretend was his.

He didn't even know how to use the card machine. It's not Irrelevant it's how he lives his life. On a totally different level than most of us. Because of his wife.

More fool people for voting for a ruling class expecting them to be any tom dick or harry. we haven't had many true working class people rise up the ranks, they have parents in the business and have no idea what it's like to live in poverty except that it requires huge portions of us to be in debt to keep the money system going.

How is he ever going to make policies which tax the rich when he is the rich?!

No a grammar school isn't private. A totally different scenario based upon his academic ability rather than his parents' wealth. He made his own way. Throwing it around when you don't understand what the term means is silly.
And for the avoidance of doubt, his knighthood isn't hereditary. It was to reflect his work.

@DogsAndGin
He won't, a Tory government will never tax the rich as they are their main donors.

@PastMyBestBeforeDate

No a grammar school isn't private. A totally different scenario based upon his academic ability rather than his parents' wealth. He made his own way. Throwing it around when you don't understand what the term means is silly. And for the avoidance of doubt, his knighthood isn't hereditary. It was to reflect his work.

lucky for him he is a labour leader and lucky for sunak that he isnt in the labour party - he would be torn even more to shreds,

anyway thanks for all the enlightenment regarding his wife

The school that Starmer went to was state run when he got his place but became private when he was in his final year but because he was already a student didn't have to pay fees.

Actually, I think Starmer was about 14 when the school converted to a private school. He stayed for sixth form although apparently on a free place.

sunak's father was a GP and his mother a pharmacist

From a middle class, ethnic minority background Sunak became head boy at Winchester - that's pretty impressive as well in my opinion.

I don’t understand how he messed up paying for a coke and petrol at the petrol station. Surely no-one is rich enough to not pay for their own stuff, bar the most senior royals. He must have felt under pressure and just got momentarily confused.

I agree.

I'd of never have even thought to google his wife if it was t for the thread on here. Like most things to do with our government it's given me such an insight into what goes on

They’re not just wealthy they are fantastically wealthy.
There is only one reason he is in politics is to make sure they stay wealthy and so do their mates.

@deedeemegadoodoo

Why would a man from one of the richest families in the world want to do a job (MP, Cabinet Member etc) that pays a salary that is chicken feed to him?

And why would he do that job and make people poorer.