LONDON: British police will “watch” a video in which the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak can be seen riding in a car without a seatbelt – an ‘error in judgement’ for which he apologized, according to Downing Street.
In Thursday’s video, produced for distribution on Sunak’s social media, the seatbeltless Tory leader speaks from the back seat of a moving car about his policies to spur growth during a trip to Lancashire in Englandis to the north.
Failure to wear a seat belt is punishable by a fine of up to 500 pounds ($619).
A Lancashire Police spokesman said authorities were “aware of the matter and we will look into it”.
A Downing Street spokesman said Sunak “fully accepts it was a mistake and apologizes”.
“The Prime Minister believes everyone should wear a seatbelt,” the spokesperson added.
“It was an error in judgement. He took it off for a short time to film a clip, which you saw, but he accepts it was a mistake.”
Sunak’s travel habits had previously been the subject of discussion in the UK, with political rivals targeting his use of a jet plane to carry out several short flights in recent days.
Deputy Workforce leader Angela Rayner said, “Rishi Sunak’s expensive habit of private jets is costing the environment and the taxpayer a lot.”
A spokesperson, however, defended the decision, saying Sunak was using “different modes of transport depending on what is… the best use of his time to get him around the UK”.
In Thursday’s video, produced for distribution on Sunak’s social media, the seatbeltless Tory leader speaks from the back seat of a moving car about his policies to spur growth during a trip to Lancashire in Englandis to the north.
Failure to wear a seat belt is punishable by a fine of up to 500 pounds ($619).
A Lancashire Police spokesman said authorities were “aware of the matter and we will look into it”.
A Downing Street spokesman said Sunak “fully accepts it was a mistake and apologizes”.
“The Prime Minister believes everyone should wear a seatbelt,” the spokesperson added.
“It was an error in judgement. He took it off for a short time to film a clip, which you saw, but he accepts it was a mistake.”
Sunak’s travel habits had previously been the subject of discussion in the UK, with political rivals targeting his use of a jet plane to carry out several short flights in recent days.
Deputy Workforce leader Angela Rayner said, “Rishi Sunak’s expensive habit of private jets is costing the environment and the taxpayer a lot.”
A spokesperson, however, defended the decision, saying Sunak was using “different modes of transport depending on what is… the best use of his time to get him around the UK”.
