A Tory aide tried to block a woman being seen on TV after she laughed at Rishi Sunak at a campaign event.
The worker at a defence company made a face after the PM claimed he knew how hard life had been for families. Mr Sunak told staff at armoured vehicle manufacturer Supacat in Devon: “Look, it’s been difficult the last few years. You know that, I know that.”
The woman laughed before looking at her colleagues. She then struggled to keep a straight face as he added: “I hope that you saw throughout all of that that I had your back.” A few minutes later, a Tory special adviser emerged from behind Mr Sunak and then stood in front of the woman, blocking her view.
He then moved away before looking at his mobile phone and then returning to obscure her. In contrast to the female worker, he nodded along with what Mr Sunak said, laughed at his jokes and clapped approvingly.
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Mr Sunak got a lukewarm reception from staff members who asked him questions. One told him she was “undecided” about his National Service plan, while another pointed out he was “quite a way behind Labour” in the polls.
The Prime Minister said: “The only poll that matters is the one on July 4 when all of you get to choose our future, that’s the one that I’m focused on. I’m working my socks off to talk to as many people as I can over the next five weeks.”
While he was at Supacat, which is based near Honiton, the PM clambering into the seat of a Jackal 3, the latest in a range of armoured vehicles being made there. Another model made by the firm was recently featured in Clarkson’s Farm, the hit Amazon Prime television programme featuring Jeremy Clarkson.
It comes after last week in one of his first Q&A events at a distribution centre in Derbyshire, the PM took questions from supposedly random workers. But it later emerged one man quizzing him on the delayed Rwanda deportation scheme was actually a Tory councillor. Journalists and TV viewers were not made aware that the audience member was Dr Ross Hills – a Leicestershire councillor.