Rishi Sunak makes bet in Piers Morgan interview: why did Prime Minister make £1,000 gamble? What did he say

Rishi Sunak has been slammed for making a “depraved” bet with Piers Morgan over whether asylum flights will take off to Rwanda.

The presenter offered the Prime Minister a £1,000 bet that ministers would not be able to send asylum seekers to the east African country in an interview with TalkTV. Sunak shook hands with Mr Morgan and appeared to accept the wager.

The government's policy to send asylum seekers to Rwanda for processing and resettlement has come to define Sunak's time in power. It was ruled unlawful by the Supreme Court last year, however the Prime Minister hopes that by signing a new treaty with the east African country and getting Parliament to declare it safe flights can get off the ground.

Opposition parties described the bet as "out of touch", and the SNP accused the Prime Minister of breaching the ministerial code. Since the interview, Sunak has said he is "not a betting man" and said the wager took him by "surprise".

What did Piers Morgan say in Rishi Sunak interview?

Sunak was being interviewed by Piers Morgan for his show on TalkTV, which aired on 5 February. The former tabloid editor quizzed the Prime Minister on the NHS before turning to Rwanda.

“I’ll bet you £1,000 to a refugee charity you don’t get anybody on those planes before the election,” Morgan said. The PM responded: "Well I want to get the people on the planes."

Morgan again asked: "£1,000?" And Sunak said "of course ... I want to get the people on the planes" and shook the broadcaster's hand.

Checking Morgan again said "£1,000?" and the PM nodded and repeated: "I want to get the people on the planes."

What has Rishi Sunak said about £1,000 bet?

Following the bet, Sunak's official spokesman said: “I think what the Prime Minister’s saying, and obviously what is clear coming through from that interview, is the Prime Minister’s absolute confidence that we’ll get flights off the ground.”

The official pointed to the timetable previously set out by Sunak, which is “by the spring”. He batted off questions on whether Sunak is setting a good example when the government is taking a hard line on gambling. “I think he’s focused on doing what is needed to deliver on the priorities for the British people,” he said.

Speaking today (6 February), Sunak told BBC Radio 5Live that “I’m not a betting person and I was taken totally by surprise in the middle of that interview".

Asked if it was a mistake, Sunak said: “No, well the point I was trying to get across – as I was taken totally by surprise – the point I was trying to get across was actually about the Rwanda policy and about tackling illegal migration because it’s something I care deeply about.

“Obviously people have strong views on this and I just was underlining my absolute commitment to this policy and my desire to get it through Parliament, up and running, because I believe you need to have a deterrent.”

Asked if he understood the financial pressures facing ordinary households, given he had made a £1,000 bet on a whim, Sunak said: “When it comes to cost of living, when I first got this job I set out five priorities – the first of them was to halve inflation because I absolutely understood that the cost of living was the most pressing problem most families faced.”

What has Rishi Sunak said previously about betting?

Despite telling the BBC this morning he's not "a betting man", Sunak last year told the broadcaster's Test Match Special programme that he'd previously indulged in spread betting on cricket. Speaking during the Ashes, he said: "It was around that time that spread betting had become a thing online.

“I had certainly never done it before. I was sitting there working on one side doing my investing finance job, and on the other screen ... I was doing next wicket partnership, next wicket fall, innings total. I just discovered this thing and it was great.”

Responding to questions from reporters, Sunak's official spokesman said: "He was obviously referring to when he was younger and he’s obviously talked more generally about his love of cricket. In the interview that aired yesterday the PM is very focused on getting flights off the ground.

The spokesman added: “He’s not a betting man in general, he’s totally focused and confident on getting flights off the ground”.

What have opposition parties said?

Sunak was immediately criticised by opposition parties. The SNP reported him to his own independent adviser on ministers’ interests and the Cabinet Secretary over whether the bet was a potential breach of the ministerial code.

In a letter to Sir Laurie Magnus and Simon Case, SNP Cabinet Office spokesperson Kirsty Blackman said the bet “falls below the high standards people should expect of those in public life” and may breach ministerial code rules on avoiding conflicts with private interests as well as the Nolan Principles of Public Life.

The SNP’s Westminster leader Stephen Flynn said: “The lives of some of the most vulnerable people on the planet reduced to a crude bet. It’s just a game to these people. Depraved.”

Labour’s Jonathan Ashworth said: “Not a lot of people facing rising mortgages, bills and food prices are casually dropping £1,000 bets. It just shows that Rishi Sunak is totally out of touch with working people.”

Lib Dem MP Alistair Carmichael asked the Commons if the PM's apparent bet would be published in his register of financial interests, like a second job would.

How to watch Rishi Sunak Piers Morgan interview?

The bet was part of a long interview with Sunak on Piers Morgan Uncensored. You can watch both episodes, part one and part two, on his YouTube channel.

Ralph Blackburn is NationalWorld’s politics editor based in Westminster, where he gets special access to Parliament, MPs and government briefings. If you liked this article you can follow Ralph on X (Twitter) here and sign up to his free weekly newsletter Politics Uncovered, which brings you the latest analysis and gossip from Westminster every Sunday morning.