Rishi Sunak scores own goal at Welsh brewery with gaffe over national team’s Euros absence

PA Wire

Rishi Sunak has scored an own goal by asking Welsh workers if they were looking forward to this summer’s football, depsite the national team not qualifiying for the Euros.

Mr Sunak asked staff at a brewery in Barry, South Wales, on Tuesday if they were looking forward to the revenue the tournament would bring in.

But one of the pub workers was quick to correct him on his mishap, following Wales’s play-off final defeat to Poland in March.

“So are you looking forward to the football, to get people in? There’ll be people coming in, it will be a big summer of sport”, he said.

One staff member interjected and said “Only if you support England!”, to which Mr Sunak awkwardly replied the hospitality industry was one the Conservatives supported.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak watching beer being bottled at the Vale of Glamorgan Brewery (Stefan Rousseau/PA) (PA Wire)

It comes after Mr Sunak and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer began their campaigns after the Tory leader called an election for 4 July on Wednesday afternoon.

Mr Sunak kicked things off touring broadcast studios before visiting all four nations in the UK in two days. He said the economy was “going gangbusters” in his first major election interview today.

The prime minister gave his upbeat verdict after being challenged over his claim that the British economy is now growing faster than the US. He also confirmed Rwanda flights won’t take off before the general election.

Meanwhile, Sir Keir Starmer gave a campaign speech in Kent and branded the election a chance “to turn the page” and “end the chaos” of Tory government.

Setting out his pitch to voters, Sir Keir said: “This election is about a choice: Two different countries, two different futures.

Keir Starmer gave a campaign speech in Kent and branded the election a chance ‘to turn the page’ (Jon Super)

“Decline and chaos continuing under the Tories, or rebuilding our country under Labour. The power of the vote is with you. If you want change, you have to vote for it.

“And if you vote Labour, it is a vote to stop the chaos, it is a vote to turn the page and it is a vote to rebuild our country together.”

The Holborn and St Pancras MP also hit out at the Tories’ record in government as “unforgivable” and said voters “do not have to put up with this”.