What’s the answer? Ask Keir, Rishi suggests

Rwanda, the Post Office scandal and tax cuts were all on the agenda in Rishi Sunak’s opening interview of 2024 – but any new year message was lost in obfuscation, writes Kate Devlin

Rishi Sunak kept suggesting questions for the Labour leader during his BBC interview on Sunday (Reuters)

The prime minister traditionally marks the start of the new year with an interview on the BBC’s flagship Sunday morning political programme.

The platform is seen as a useful one by politicians, allowing them a chance to try to get on the front foot and set the tone for the coming months.

Viewers watching Rishi Sunak on Laura Kuenssberg’s show, however, could be forgiven for being a little confused as to what the PM’s message for 2024 was.

Mr Sunak did hint at further tax cuts to come in the Budget, as well as a clampdown on the welfare bill. He said the justice secretary was exploring ways to find justice for the victims of the Post Office scandal.

And he defended his controversial Rwanda plan after a leak suggested he once had significant doubts about the scheme and had tried to scale it back.

But he also used the interview to suggest, an astonishing four times, questions that should be asked of his opposite number, the Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer.

Time and again he said: “I’m sure when Keir Starmer is here next week you’ll be able to ask him.”

At one point the BBC presenter had to intervene and tell the prime minister: “You’ve been trying to helpfully suggest lots of questions for Keir Starmer... this week you are here to answer about your approach.”

The admonishment came just weeks after Mr Sunak was forced to deny that he was becoming “tetchy” as the pressure from his party over immigration mounts and the window in which he can hold a general election narrows.

Mr Sunak’s approach betrayed a frustration in Downing Street that they believe Labour is not facing enough scrutiny on its policies.

Political spin doctors, from all parties, complain to broadcasters if they believe their opponents are getting too easy a ride. The difference in approach here appeared to be that the prime minister was saying in public something more often expressed behind the scenes. He also faced criticism for how he dealt with the scrutiny of his own policies.

In the same interview, he repeatedly claimed he had not seen the leaked papers on Rwanda. This prompted ridicule from fellow guest, impressionist Jon Culshaw, who quipped: “It does seem rather surprising how few documents very important politicians seem to read.”

There was an altogether more scathing verdict from Dame Louise Casey, who advised the government on homelessness in 2020 and accused Mr Sunak of “selling nonsense” with claims that “rang hollow”.

The prime minister will be hoping that the rest of his 2024 goes better than that.