Uproar in Britain with Prime Minister Sunak's bet in an interview - Where did he bet 1,000 pounds

Uproar in Britain with Prime Minister Sunak's bet in an interview – Where did he bet 1,000 pounds

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The British Prime Minister said today that he was "taken by surprise" to justify his action

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's move to place a bet during an interview on the implementation of the "Rwanda" project caused reactions.

Britain's prime minister said today he was "caught by surprise" to justify accepting a £1,000 bet that his government would send asylum seekers to Rwanda before the next general election.

Sunak was criticized by opposition parties, who said his bet with presenter Piers Morgan was in poor taste and showed he was out of touch with the concerns of ordinary voters.

Under the Rwanda plan, which has not yet been implemented, asylum seekers arriving on England's southern coast in small, inflatable boats would be sent to Rwanda.

Today, Sunak said he was surprised to be offered a bet, but did not admit it was a mistake.

"I'm not a betting man, and I was completely taken aback by this interview," he told the BBC. "What I wanted to pass – I was completely surprised – was actually about the politics of Rwanda and dealing with illegal immigration, which is something I'm very interested in."

So far, no asylum seekers have been sent to Rwanda, as the plan has been blocked by the courts.

The government is trying to get legislation passed through parliament that would declare Rwanda a safe country for asylum seekers, in a bid to overcome a court block on the plan.

Reactions from the opposition

The opposition Labor Party said the bet by Britain's richest prime minister showed he did not understand the challenges facing voters, who are faced with rising mortgage payments and food prices, while a senior Scottish National Party politician called the bet "gross".

Asked if he understands the financial pressures facing ordinary households, Sunak said the first priority is to reduce inflation, because the cost of living crisis is the most pressing problem facing most families.