(London) British police will look into a video where Prime Minister Rishi Sunak appears Thursday without a belt in the back of a car, “an error of judgment” for which he apologized, according to Downing Street.
In this video produced for his social networks, the head of the Conservative government enthusiastically talks about his policy of territorial rebalancing, sitting in the back of a car without wearing his seatbelt, during a trip to Lancashire (north of England).
“We are aware of the matter and will look into it,” a local police spokesman said.
Failure to wear a seat belt can be punished by a fine of up to 500 pounds sterling (833 CAN dollars).
Rishi Sunak “fully admits it was a mistake and apologizes,” Downing Street said. “It was an error in judgement”, the Prime Minister removed his belt “for a brief moment to film a video”, “but he recognizes that it is an error”, declared a spokesman. “The prime minister thinks everyone should wear their seatbelt,” he added.
Even before this incident, Rishi Sunak had seen criticism multiply, as he made several jet flights for short trips, of around 30 and 40 minutes, after previous short flights last week.
A “habit that is costly to the environment and to taxpayers”, denounced the number two of the Labor opposition, Angela Rayner.
A choice dictated by questions of efficiency and optimal use of the Prime Minister’s “time”, defended his spokesperson.
When he was Boris Johnson’s finance minister, Rishi Sunak was fined in the ‘partygate’ scandal, for being present at a rally for the Prime Minister’s birthday, in violation of anti-COVID-19 rules .