London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Aug 17, 2026

Rishi Sunak: Labour's personal attacks don't bother me

Rishi Sunak: Labour's personal attacks don't bother me

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said personal attacks from Labour on him and his family "don't bother me".
Mr Sunak told reporters the public were more interested in whether the government was improving their lives.

Labour's attacks on the PM have become increasingly personal in recent weeks, with the party accusing him of being out of touch because of his wealth.

It has also criticised Mr Sunak's wife, Akshata Murty, for previously benefitting from non-dom tax status.

Asked by journalists during his visit to Japan for the G7 summit whether comments about his wealth and upbringing were fair game, Mr Sunak said: "These things generally don't worry me.

"I don't think most people sitting at home actually are much bothered about these things either. What they care about is what am I doing for them to make their lives better."

He added: "I think we've moved beyond judging people by what's in their bank account. I think they're interested in whether I'm going to deliver for them and their families."

Asked whether it was hurtful when Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer talked about his family, Mr Sunak said: "These things don't bother me."

In recent sessions of Prime Minister's Questions, Sir Keir has accused the prime minister of being "clueless about life outside his bubble".

In the run-up to the local elections in England earlier this month, Labour also put out a number of adverts on Twitter attacking Mr Sunak personally.

The most controversial claimed the prime minister did not think adults convicted of child sexual assaults should go to prison.

Sir Keir defended the advert, saying it highlighted the government's failures on crime, but there was uneasiness about the move among some in Labour.

Another advert criticised Mr Sunak for raising taxes on working people, while his family benefitted from "a tax loophole" - a reference to his wife's non-dom status.

Last year, it emerged that Mr Sunak's wife had non-dom status, which allows people living in the UK to avoid paying UK tax on money made abroad.

She later said she would start paying UK tax on her overseas earnings.

At the time Mr Sunak, who was then chancellor, described criticism of his wife as "unpleasant smears", arguing it was unfair to attack a private citizen.

He has also previously admitted he found it "very upsetting" when his wife faced criticism over shares she owned in a tech company operating in Russia.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Sarah Ferguson Reportedly Retreats to Late Ex-Boyfriend's Swiss Chalet
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez Sign Prenup Protecting Their Separate Fortunes
Thieves Steal Antonello da Messina Renaissance Masterpieces From Sicilian Museum
Better.com Founder Who Fired 900 Employees on Zoom Is Ousted as CEO
Italian Speed Camera Issues Nearly 32,000 Fines in 10 Weeks, Worth More Than €3 Million
AI Manager at San Francisco Store Recommends Firing Human Employee
Google Launches Pixel 11 With Gemini AI at the Center of Its Hardware Strategy
Campaigners Press Government to Strengthen Rights for Four Million Gig Workers
Government Considers Higher Private Rents to Spread Asylum Accommodation Across UK
UK Moves to Protect Historic Pubs From Conversion Into Housing and Offices
Nigel Farage Wins Clacton By-Election to Return to House of Commons
British Manufacturers Report Rising Cybersecurity Threats Across Industrial Supply Chains
Royal Navy Increases Monitoring of Russian Ships in UK Waters by 25 Percent
England Adds More Than 350 Medical Training Posts to Strengthen NHS Capacity
NHS Waiting Lists Over 52 Weeks Rise by More Than 11,000 Patients
Brent Crude Near $88 Raises Fresh UK Energy Cost Concerns
UK Treasury Warns Prolonged Strait of Hormuz Disruption Could Cut 2027 Growth to 0.3 Percent
UK Economy Grows 0.4 Percent in Second Quarter as Energy and Inflation Risks Persist
UK Heatwave Triggers Emergency Alert as Government Unveils £65 Million Farm Support Package
Reform UK Unveils Plan to Cut Welfare Spending by More Than £50 Billion a Year
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Praised Extinction Rebellion for Doing a 'Great Service'
UK Wildfire Phone Alert Triggers Backlash as Users Switch Off Emergency Warnings
Heathrow Roads Reopen After Burst Water Main Floods Access to Terminals 2 and 3
Former NBA Players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White Say They Will Enter 2027 WNBA Draft
Former Cambridge Professor Jason Arday Found Dead Days After Resigning Amid Plagiarism Row
US Appeals Court Rules AI Agent's Website Actions Are Legally Attributed to the User
France's Constitutional Council Blocks Social Media Ban for Children Under 15
Liechtenstein Changes Royal Succession Rules to Allow Women to Inherit the Throne
Women Allege Rape and Sexual Abuse at British Army College for Teenage Recruits
Minnesota: Two independent investigators posed as Muslims (one wearing a burqa) and showed how they could vote in elections without identification.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham Takes Regional Tour to Highlight Local Infrastructure and Environmental Problems
Nigel Farage Wins Clacton By-Election to Return to the House of Commons
Bank of England Warns Rising Inflation Could Squeeze UK Household Incomes
UK Government Announces £65 Million Aid Package for Farmers Hit by Severe Drought
UK Economy Grows 0.4% in Second Quarter Despite Energy Market Pressures
UK Issues Emergency Alert as Severe Wildfires Spread Across England and Wales
UK and Finland Discuss European Defence and Continued Support for Ukraine
Nigel Farage Wins Clacton By-Election to Return to the House of Commons
UK Government Deploys Military to Help Fight Wildfires and Bans Disposable Barbecues
UK Records Hottest Day of the Year as Fifth Summer Heatwave Peaks in Southern England
UK Condemns Houthi Actions and Warns of Red Sea Threat to Global Trade
UK and Solomon Islands Open Wildlife Photography Exhibition in Honiara
UK Small Businesses Face Continued Cash Flow and Tax Pressures
Greatham Marsh Restoration Restores Tidal Wetland in Hartlepool After More Than 200 Years
UK Health Regulator Urges University Students to Check Meningitis and Measles Vaccination Status
Mining Remediation Authority Completes Major Ground Stabilization Works in Scottish Community
UK Food Crime Investigators Seize 33 Tonnes of Illegal Food in Multi-Agency Operation
Technical Qualification Uptake Hits Record High as Advanced Mathematics Results Improve
UK Summer Temperatures on Course to Challenge Long-Standing Records, Met Office Says
UK Farmers Bring Forward Cereal Harvests as Drought Threatens Yields
×