Rishi Sunak speech: why I Predict a Riot by Kaiser Chiefs was played outside Downing Street - lyrics in full

As Liz Truss issued her farewell speech outside Number 10, the former Prime Minister’s statement was set against a backdrop of music from protestors - specifically, the 2004 hit I Predict a Riot by Kaiser Chiefs.

The song continued to play from a speaker outside the Downing Street gates as the UK’s newest Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, delivered his first speech in which he said that “some mistakes were made”, but that he was elected as the leader of the Tory party to “fix them”.

He added: “I fully appreciate how hard things are and I understand too that I have work to do to restore trust after all that has happened. All I can say is that I am not daunted. I know the high office I have accepted and I hope to live up to its demands.”

Why were protestors outside Downing Street?

Protestors assembled outside Downing Street as the position of Prime Minister was transferred from Truss to Sunak, with shouts of “Tories out!” and “Rishi out!” heard on live streams of the event.

Sunak has become the third Prime Minister of the UK in three months, and the second in a row to have taken office without a vote from the general public on the matter. The last general election took place in 2019 after ex-PM Boris Johnson called for one, which resulted in a landslide majority for the Tory party.

Johnson resigned as Prime Minister earlier this year and, following a months-long leadership race, Truss was elected as the new head of the party, and Prime Minister, after the membership vote revealed that she had secured 57.4% of the ballot against Sunak, who was also in the running. After just 44 days in office, Truss then also announced her resignation and Sunak was appointed the Prime Minister by King Charles III on 25 October 2022, having stood unopposed.

Given the current state of the Tory party, there have been increasing calls for a general election from political figures like Labour’s Deputy Leader Angela Rayner, First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon and Liberal Democrats leader Ed Davy.

I Predict a Riot was played courtesy of anti-Brexit activist Steve Bray, who has built a reputation for providing a variety of songs in the background of Prime Ministers’ speeches, including the Benny Hill chase music during Johnson’s resignation. Bray has spent most days outside of Parliament in protest against Brexit since the 2016 EU referendum.

On Twitter, one person wrote: “Whoever is playing I Predict a Riot at the press conference is really the hero this country needs.”

Another tweeted: “Whoever’s belting out I Predict a Riot during this week’s Prime Minister’s Downing St. press conference… turn it up.”

“Just watched the Sunak speech. He wasn’t elected, there were literally no other candidates. No campaigning, no interviews, nothing. He wants to earn our trust, however it’s currently below zero if that’s at all possible. I Predict a Riot playing in the background was a nice touch,” wrote another.

What are the lyrics to I Predict a Riot?

These are the lyrics to I Predict a Riot by the Kaiser Chiefs:

“Watching the people get lairy

It’s not very pretty I tell thee

Walking through town is quite scary

It’s not very sensible either

A friend of a friend he got beaten

He looked the wrong way at a policeman

Would never have happened to Smeaton

An Old Leodensian

La...la la la la la

Ah...la la la la la

I predict a riot

I predict a riot

I predict a riot

I predict a riot

I tried to get to my taxi

The man in a tracksuit attacks me

He said that he saw it before me

And wants to get things a bit gory

Girls scrabble round with no clothes on

To borrow a pound for a condom

If it wasn’t for chip fat they’d be frozen

They’re not very sensible

La...la la la la la

Ah...la la la la la

I predict a riot

I predict a riot

I predict a riot

I predict a riot

And if there’s anybody left in here

That doesn’t want to be out there

Ah...

Watching the people get lairy

It’s not very pretty I tell thee

Walking through town is quite scary

It’s not very sensible

La...la la la la la

Ah...la la la la la

I predict a riot

I predict a riot

I predict a riot

I predict a riot

And if there’s anybody left in here

That doesn’t want to be out there

I predict a riot

I predict a riot

I predict a riot

I predict a riot”