Rishi Sunak, Adidas Sambas and the art of the political apology
The Evening Standard's journalism is supported by our readers. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Rishi Sunak has said sorry. This recantation didn't quite match the magnitude of Keith Joseph's 1974 apology for the Conservatives Party's role in the post-war consensus or Tony Blair's expression of regret over Britain's role during the Irish potato famine. But it is parliamentary recess and the pickings are slim.
The prime minister has issued a “fulsome apology” to Adidas Samba wearers after being accused of “killing off” the once popular style. As our chief political correspondent Rachael Burford reports, Sunak was pictured sporting the trainers in an Instagram video last week to promote his tax policies. But it was his decision to pair the 'box fresh shoes' with suit trousers and a white shirt that apparently prompted fashionistas to to declare the sneaker style well and truly “dead”.
This is not the first time Sunak has encountered political difficulties over his choice of footwear. When he was standing against Liz Truss for the Tory leadership in 2022, the by then former chancellor was mocked for wearing Prada shoes to a building site – a detail that would later come up in focus groups. During the visit, Sunak spoke of the need to "get a grip". I understand he was referring to inflation, rather than the challenge posed by uneven stones beneath £490 suede loafers.
The Sunak family's vast personal wealth – half a billion pounds according to the Sunday Times Rich List – is a political liability for the prime minister. Some people may hear 'Sir Keir Starmer' and confuse a knighthood for a hereditary title, but pretty much everyone knows Sunak is minted.
Recent poling by J.L. Partners found that Labour lead the Conservatives by 18 points. More interestingly (because double-digit Tory deficits are as passé as Adidas Sambas by this point), when asked who of the main party leaders would be best at putting up a shelf, just 13 per cent opted for Sunak compared with 47 per cent for Starmer. Perhaps that toolmaking father refrain is finally cutting through.
The Labour leader is also streets ahead of the prime minister in the eyes of the British public (or at least those surveyed) when it comes to making a Sunday roast (42 per cent to 16 per cent) and being in charge of the map for a road trip (39 per cent to 26 per cent). Though Sunak does hold a four-point lead when it comes to negotiating a discount and solving an escape room.
The story here isn't that the British public doesn't think their prime minister is cool. Even Barack Obama was mocked for wearing 'mom jeans'. The problem is a stagnant economy, stubbornly high NHS waiting lists and the sense that it is time for a change. Given these constraints, Sunak might be better served by the maxim of his immediate predecessor, Liz Truss: never recant, never apologise, never explain.
This article appears in our award-winning newsletter, West End Final – delivered 4pm daily – bringing you the very best of the paper, from culture and comment to features and sport. Sign up here.
