'Are you in business?': Rishi Sunak's awkward interaction with homeless man

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak recently faced a lot of backlash for his gaffe involving a homeless man in a soup kitchen, where he was volunteering. He has been criticised for being “out of touch” with the country’s poor, while some have criticised him for volunteering instead of framing robust policies. Sunak asked the homeless person if he was in business and his plans for Christmas. 

It all began when Sunak, before Christmas, volunteered at a soup kitchen. A conversation between the Prime Minister and a homeless man, that has since gone viral, has been called ‘painful’ and ‘excruciating’ to watch. 

The clip begins with both the individuals sharing pleasantries, and introducing themselves to one another. Sunak, while laying a plate for the man asks if he wants some sausages, toasts, couple of eggs, to which the man says ‘yes’. Sunak then asks him if he has been in the soup kitchen before, and the man says yes. He then says, “It’s a great place, isn’t it?”, to which the man agrees.

The man then asks Sunak if he is trying to sort the economy out. “That’s exactly what I am trying to do,” he says. Sunak, in a gaffe that has now been criticised by netizens, asks, “Do you work in business?” The man replies, “I am homeless. I am a homeless person, but I am interested in business.”

“What kind of business?” Sunak then proceeds to ask. Then they continue to talk about finance and Sunak’s stint in finance. He asks the man if he would like to get into finance, to which the man says, “I wouldn’t mind. I don’t know but I would like to get through Christmas first.” He then says that he hopes St Mungo’s – a community housing association – can help him get into some temporary accommodation.  

Many Labour Party leaders condemned the Prime Minister for his ‘out of touch’ conversation. Some criticised him for talking about his own career instead of listening to the man who appeared to be in need. One user said that instead of volunteering, he should have been making legislations to ensure that soup kitchens are not necessary. 

Meanwhile, on Christmas, Sunak called diplomats, military personnel, charity workers and other public servants to personally thank them for their sacrifice and dedication in an "extraordinary" year. He placed one call to Sherwan Asif, who worked for the British High Commission in Islamabad for more than 12 years.

"Whether you are working in Mogadishu or Milton Keynes this Christmas, I want you to know that I am personally grateful for your sacrifice. This year has been an extraordinary year for so many reasons, but most of all, it's been a year in which the true spirit and resilience of the United Kingdom has been on the show, from the support given to our Ukrainian friends, to the work being done to ensure essential aid reaches the most vulnerable overseas," he said.

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