PM criticised for asking homeless man if he ‘works in business’

The footage was taken during the Prime Minister's visit to a homeless shelter in London on Friday.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak criticised for asking homeless man if he ‘works in business’ — MPs described the exchange as 'excruciating' and 'out of touch'. STV News

PA Media

24th Dec 2022

Rishi Sunak has come under fire for what critics called an “excruciating” exchange with a homeless man.

In footage from his visit to a homeless shelter in London on Friday, the Prime Minister can be heard asking a man he is serving food to: “Do you work in business?”

The man, called Dean, replies: “No, I’m homeless. I’m actually a homeless person.”

Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner tweeted the ITV clip and wrote: “Excruciating.”

The awkward exchange began when the multimillionaire Prime Minister was serving breakfast to the homeless man, who asked him: “Are you sorting the economy out?”

Dean then said he was interested in business, prompting Sunak to ask him what kind of business.

When Dean replied finance, the Prime Minister said: “I used to work in finance, actually.”

Sunak then asked: “Is that something you’d like to get into?”

“Yeah I wouldn’t mind. But, I don’t know, I’d like to get through Christmas first,” the homeless man said.

Sunak asked: “What’s your plan, what are you doing this weekend?”

Dean replied that he was hoping the homeless charity St Mungo’s could help him get into temporary accommodation “so I’m not on the street”.

Another Labour MP, Bill Esterson, said the exchange demonstrated Mr Sunak was “out of touch”.