The day Rishi Sunak’s gloves came off

The Conservative leader was all smiles in a primary school classroom - but let his anger be known when talking about racist slurs by an activist for Nigel Farage’s Reform

Rishi Sunak expected to spend the day talking about how he was fighting but fighting for every vote, with less than a week to go before the election.

Instead, he came out fighting against Nigel Farage.

The normally cerebral prime minister was clearly emotional as he talked about the hurt and anger he felt after a Reform activist used racial slurs against him.

He did not hold back as he spoke of his daughters having to hear that language.

And he said he had made a specific decision to repeat the slur, saying the issue was “too important” not to call it for what it is.

This felt like Rishi Sunak with the gloves off.

Rishi Sunak takes questions from journalists during an election campaign visit to a school in Teeside (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Earlier, a more relaxed Tory leader had laughed and joked with a group of four and five-years-olds on a visit to Holy Trinity Rosehill primary school in Stockton-on-Tees.

Perhaps mindful that prime ministers had been tripped up at similar events in the past, by difficult questions, or eye-rolling, from the children, the PM played it safe.

His most controversial moment, as he was shown the fruit salad they were making, was asking “can I take some home?” (The answer was a resounding no).

But afterwards, taking questions from reporters, the smiley Mr Sunak seen in the classroom was gone.

A clearly determined PM hit out at Reform UK - and its leader Mr Farage.

He condemned the culture in the upstart party and he said the former UKIP leader had “questions” to answer.

It came after Reform canvasser Andrew Parker was revealed, as part of an undercover investigation by Channel 4 News, to have said: “I’ve always been a Tory voter. But what annoys me is that f****** p*** we’ve got in. What good is he? You tell me, you know. He’s just wet. F****** useless”.

Minutes after laughing and joking with a little girl who had told him it was her birthday, a fired up Mr Sunak did not pull his punches.

“My two daughters have to see and hear Reform people who campaign to Nigel Farage calling me an effing p***. It hurts and it makes me angry, and I think he has some questions to answer,” he said.

Mr Sunak inside a classroom at Holy Trinity Rosehill school (AP)

He added: “I hate having to repeat it. Absolutely hate it. But I also think it’s important to call this out for what it is and be clear about what it is. “Later he told reporters that in general he was “energised” about this campaign.

The same campaign in which the party he condemned, Reform, is cannibalising his vote.

Polls suggest it is on course to win just a handful of seats. But the thousands of votes in takes in constituencies across England could be the difference between many staying Tory or turning Labour and Lib Dem.

Speaking to journalists, Mr Sunak dodged a question about whether he will push the nuclear button and campaign in his constituency this weekend - as well as if he can guarantee he will win even his own seat.

The prime minister, previously thought to have one of the safest Tory seats in the country, said he did not “take anything for granted” and would fight hard for every vote.

Later at a local college, he seemed to make clear that was not idle rhetoric. Dressed in a Hi-Viz jacket, while inside yet another classroom, he ran into one of his own constituents, from a village in the nearby seat of Richmond and Northallerton.

“Were you at the fete the other week?” he asked the young engineering student.

On hearing he was not, Mr Sunak was not put off, telling him he would see him around.

An opinion poll last week suggested he could become the first PM in history to lose his seat at an election.

So even on a trip to a nearby constituency, designed to help the local MP Jacob Young, who accompanied him to the college, Mr Sunak knows that a vote is a vote.