Watch: Rishi Sunak scores own goal with football gaffe on campaign tour
Rishi Sunak scored an own goal with a footballing gaffe as he met brewery staff in Wales on his campaign tour.
The Prime Minister asked the workers whether they were looking forward to the football later this summer as a potential source of revenue, despite Wales not qualifying for the Euro 2024 tournament.
There was an awkward pause after Mr Sunak asked: “So are you looking forward to all the football?”
One brewery employee answered: “We’re not so invested in it,” to which another responded: “That’s because you guys aren’t in it”.
‘Are you looking forward to all the football?’@RishiSunak asks voters in Wales, before one person points out Wales didn’t qualify for the euros pic.twitter.com/Vl8rLqKEEM
— ITV News Politics (@ITVNewsPolitics) May 23, 2024
“A good summer”
The Prime Minister nonetheless insisted that “it’ll be a good summer of sport”.
Mr Sunak has found the back of his own net while talking about the sport before.
The self-described “massive football fan” in 2022 wrongly spoke about his team Southampton FC playing Manchester United at the weekend, when they were in fact facing Leicester City.
The teetotal Tory leader was on Thursday shown brewing processes at the Vale of Glamorgan Brewery in Barry with Wales Secretary David TC Davies and Vale of Glamorgan MP Alun Cairns.
He told staff they were “part of a proper industry that we’re keen to support”, mentioning a “Brexit pubs guarantee” and support with business rates.
Rishi Sunak taking a brave approach to small talk at a brewery in Wales.
He asked workers if they're looking forward to 'all the football'. One quickly pointed out that Wales haven't qualified for the Euros 😬 pic.twitter.com/kiHRxNVipe
— Tom Larkin (@TomLarkinSky) May 23, 2024
The brewery visit was part of Mr Sunak’s whistlestop campaigning tour of all four nations of the UK a day after he announced a July 4 General Election.
He earlier answered questions from workers at William West Distribution in Ilkeston, Derbyshire, and is heading up to Scotland later on Thursday.
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Flying visit was it?
Helicopter tour again? Who is supplying this ride.
Did he slip in any Tory councillors to ask set questions like he did earlier today?
It’s foot in mouth time. What
an ignoramus. If uninformed Rishy Sunak or his advisors are not aware that sadly Wales narrowly missed out on qualifying for the Euros, is it no wonder Britain’s up a creek without a paddle and the Conservatives are going to hit the fan like the proverbial on the 4th of July.
And this GOOFBALL is the boss leader of disunited Kingdom
Well, to be fair to him, in his mind he was in EnglandandWales, so no real surprise. Notice during the awkward Euro footie moment, Alun Cairns came in with a “I’ll be supporting England” defence. What a surprise! Our land is awash with Dic Sion Dafydds.
Indeed, won’t catch me supporting a nation who have done deeds to some that would no doubt have made the worst 21st century despots say “bit extreme hey”. Over my dead body will I ever support England, and that’s with me having some English ancestry, no way!
Any tory councillors asking questions at this one? It’s going to be an off putting general election campaign. But anyone inviting tories to their place, boycott that crap
I’m very disappointed in VoG brewing, I bought some bottles last week too! Won’t be doing that again.
There – he done it! Got ‘a’ visit to Wales out of the way. He can now concentate on the seats he cares about in SE England. He knows there will be no blue seats over offa’s dyke on July 5th.
The entire website of that brewery appears to have succeeded in avoiding using a single word of Cymraeg.
Apart from in the names of two occasionally brewed beers, Bedwas Bitter and Pontcanna Pale
However least anyone think the brewery is anything other that 100% proud in its Welshness it brews beers called Barrifornia Girls, Cheers Butt and the Lost Boyos in its portfolio of thirty other named beers.
No wonder the owners invited Sunak and the Tories in Wales massive in for a pint