Prime Minister Sunak walks his dog without a leash and angers the British

LONDON – Brits are used to Downing Street scandals and are now witnessing one involving their current Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak. The case, seen as a typically British scandal, has been dubbed “gate dog”.

The story began innocently enough. A video appeared on TikTok over the weekend, showing the British frontman strolling through one of London’s most popular parks with his family and their Labrador retriever named Nova.

But, as the video showed, something was wrong with the picturesque landscape. Sunak and Nova were in an area where park rules strictly state that dogs must be kept on a leash to protect the wandering swans and ducks. But Nova was roaming free.

In many countries this would probably have been seen as a minor incident, nothing much to talk about. but not United kingdomPeople can take rule-breaking seriously, especially when those in power break the regulations. The case involved the police and became a hot topic of discussion in the media and among politicians.

In a statement to British media, the Metropolitan Police said: “We are aware of video footage showing a dog walking off-leash in Hyde Park.” “A police officer, who was present at the time, spoke to the woman and reminded her of the rules. The dog was put on a leash.”

The incident seemed to offend many people, as a Briton complained on social media that in the country there was “one rule for us (the citizens) and another (for the authorities)”.

Leading the country after years of political turmoil was no walk in Sunak’s park. His government has come under pressure on several fronts this year, on issues including a controversial asylum policy proposal, historic strikes by inflation-stricken British workers and ethics investigations against members of his own party.

individual cases

However, it is often the single incidents of rule-breaking that catch the nation’s attention. On Wednesday, 15, social media users alluded to previous occasions when Sunak has been in trouble, including in January, when police fined him after a video showed him traveling in a car without wearing a seatbelt, and last year, When he was fined for taking part in parties at 10 Downing Street, violating lockdown restrictions imposed by the coronavirus pandemic.

Britons’ attitudes towards rule-breakers, particularly those seen as part of the social contract, can be intense. Standing in front of someone in line is considered an outburst by many.

Similarly, surveys of social attitudes show that only 31% of Britons disagree with the statement: “The law must always be obeyed, even if a particular law is wrong.” Opinions can be particularly harsh on politicians who break the rules. The same 2021 survey found that 67% agreed that there is “one law for the rich and one for the poor.”

Sky News reported that Downing Street said it would not comment on the prime minister’s photographs. I will not comment on footage of the prime minister’s family or individuals in particular. You can watch the video, it speaks for itself.

elite

But critics of Sunak and the Conservative Party in general seized on the incident to portray the prime minister as elite and out of touch with reality.

On a British radio station on Wednesday, an editor at The Daily MirrorA left-wing tabloid told the show’s host that Sunak “seems simply unaware of the rules, regulations and laws around him”.

Opposition Labor MP David Lammy wrote on Twitter: “Shut up the parties, seatbelts and now the dog leashes!” “Why does RishiSunak think our laws never apply to him?”

On TikTok, hundreds of people have left comments criticizing Sonak for not following the rulebook. “You forgot to lead by example … again,” wrote one Briton. On local radio, another citizen said the incident was a good metaphor for how Sunak might struggle to keep his party members in line, including his predecessor.

“If Rishi Sunak can’t keep his dog on a leash, how will he keep the big dog Boris Johnson?” the Briton asked, making the radio host laugh.

Sunak has declared in the past that he is a dog lover, saying that while having a dog was not his idea, Nova is the best thing that happened to his family in a long time.