This takedown of Rishi Sunak over his family’s Russian investments was magnificent

John Plunkett. Updated March 24th, 2022

The morning after his mini budget was widely derided as an ‘up yours’ to people struggling with the cost of living crisis, Chancellor Rishi Sunak was doing the media rounds to persuade people that it wasn’t totally rubbish.

But it’s fair to say it didn’t go entirely to plan, not least this brilliant encounter on Sky News today.

Presenter Jayne Secker asked him about his wife’s reported £500m investment in her father’s firm, Infosys, an IT company which is reported to operate in Moscow and have links to a major Russian bank, and it had the whole internet applauding.

.@JayneSeckerSky: It's been reported that you have family links to Russia and that your wife has a stake in Infosys, which operates in Moscow.@RishiSunak: "I'm here to talk to you about what I am responsible for, my wife is not."https://t.co/WaBU5XQk1v

📺 Sky 501 pic.twitter.com/1sOuHkePo9

— Sky News (@SkyNews) March 24, 2022

Just in case you need a reminder of what Sunak had to say to people and firms which invest in Russia.

I am urging firms to think very carefully about their investments in Russia and how they may aid the Putin regime.

I also want to make it clear that there is no case for new investment in Russia. https://t.co/jcFL95aLqf pic.twitter.com/6mLd7C2kDM

— Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) March 13, 2022

And here are our favourite things people were saying about the Chancellor today.

This is brutal. And strangely the most low energy takedown I’ve seen. pic.twitter.com/9pBCTjBcDv

— Mike Galsworthy (@mikegalsworthy) March 24, 2022

Important question. Pathetic answer. And you can see that he knows it. Russian oligarchs aren't elected politicians either but the source of their fortunes has seen some of them rightly & belatedly sanctioned. https://t.co/qolkdB2nPc

— James O'Brien (@mrjamesob) March 24, 2022

Sunak's career dying in real time … https://t.co/7eNOTUZoJh

— Paul Mason (@paulmasonnews) March 24, 2022

Oof! Listen to his voice and confidence get weaker and weaker.

Seems like millionaire Rishi Sunak doesn’t like the spotlight being put on his billionaire family and its links to Russia. #KayBurley https://t.co/ybzC7xgTEA

— Eddie Burfi (@EddieBurfi) March 24, 2022

In refusing to accept his wife’s business dealings are relevant to his work as Chancellor in time of war and sanctions @RishiSunak operating a new version of ‘one rule for us and one rule for the plebs.’ If this was a Labour chancellor the media would be in kill mode

— ALASTAIR CAMPBELL (@campbellclaret) March 24, 2022

*Firms*. Not wives. It's perfectly clear. Stop being so mean. https://t.co/1poo55UPKP

— James O'Brien (@mrjamesob) March 24, 2022

I have nothing to do with that company apart from benefiting from it financially, directly and personally through my wife which I know nothing about.

— Brian (@96randomman) March 24, 2022

The British people would be well advised to show Sunak in the starkest possible terms that this is not good enough.

You simply can't have a chancellor presiding over swingeing sanctions against Russia whose wife has extensive active investments in Russia.

It's not complicated!

— jaime hyland 🚴‍♂️… 💙+💛= 💚 (@aggressie) March 24, 2022

It’s the same in our house. I keep all my income to myself and don’t contribute at all to our expenditure and lifestyle. In fact my husband once asked me where I worked and I said it’s nothing to do with you.

— Balloon Lady #LeaveALightOn 💙🕯💙 (@ColonelEscargot) March 24, 2022

10.

He wasn't expecting that. Oh, never seen the atmosphere change so quickly.

— Craig N. Williamson (@CraigyNdot) March 24, 2022

11.

shot chaser pic.twitter.com/KvDk3MdEki

— James Ball (@jamesrbuk) March 24, 2022

And finally, this.

How can his eyes be so emotionally depleted, and yet screaming at the same time?pic.twitter.com/QCEqadzxqp

— Jonathan Pie (@JonathanPieNews) March 24, 2022

You can follow @JayneSeckerSky on Twitter here.

Source Twitter @SkyNews @JayneSeckerSky H/T @HaggisUK