Sunak challenged by watchdog over claim to have cut public debt

Rishi Sunak said ‘debt is falling’ in a No 10 social media video posted on 7 November, and repeated the claim later that month. Photograph: PRU/AFP/Getty Images

The head of the UK’s official statistics watchdog has challenged Rishi Sunak over his claim to have reduced public debt, saying the prime minister’s definition of this was so specific and limited that it risked being misleading for voters.

Sir Robert Chote, the chair of the UK Statistics Authority (UKSA), said Sunak’s claims last month “may have undermined trust in the government’s use of statistics and quantitative analysis in this area”.