Rishi Sunak expresses shock over £1,000 Rwanda wager, claiming he was caught off guard

The prime minister has admitted to being surprised when he made a £1,000 bet over his Rwanda policy. Rishi Sunak, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, denied it was a mistake after shaking hands with TalkTV's Piers Morgan, stating that deportation flights would take off before the next election. Sunak explained on BBC Radio 5 Live that he was simply trying to show his strong commitment to the policy. However, the Labour Party criticized Sunak, claiming that it demonstrated that he was out of touch with working people. Sunak dismissed the notion that he lacked an understanding of the financial struggles faced by ordinary households. The £1,000 bet, which will be donated to charity, exceeds the cost-of-living payments given to households on means-tested benefits. Sunak set a target to halve inflation by the end of the previous year, citing the burden it placed on families. He claimed that inflation had dropped from 11% to 4%, thus alleviating the pressure on families. When questioned about his knowledge of the financial pressures on low-income families, Sunak expressed sadness at learning that parents were watering down baby formula due to a lack of money. He argued that his government's cuts to national insurance had helped working families, in addition to providing £100 billion in support for the most vulnerable members of society. Sunak stated that there was a significant amount of support available for those who needed it. The Prime Minister's promises included tackling inflation and the policy of deporting asylum seekers to Rwanda as a deterrent to crossing the Channel. However, legal challenges have resulted in no deportation flights being carried out thus far. Sunak insisted that the bet was a way to demonstrate his unwavering commitment to the policy and his desire to push it through parliament. To revive the policy, the government introduced legislation to declare Rwanda a safe country, but it must first receive approval from the House of Lords, where it has faced significant opposition. The government is still aiming to have the flights take off by spring. During an interview on TalkTV, Piers Morgan bet £1,000 to a refugee charity that the Prime Minister would not successfully carry out the deportations before the election. Sunak, in response, shook hands with Morgan and affirmed his determination to get people on the planes. Sunak has stated that he expects a general election to be held in the latter half of this year, and it must legally happen by the end of January 2025. Opposition parties have criticized Sunak for making the bet. The Liberal Democrats and the SNP have both accused him of being out of touch and have called for an investigation into whether he violated ministerial rules with the wager.