A whistleblower says a focus group authorised by Rishi Sunak under a 500,000 taxpayer-funded deal was an attempt to argue the Tory party should not be blamed for the cost of living crisis.
The participant has told The Independent of his “disgust” over what he described as an attempt to frame an argument that the government could not have done more to prevent the crisis.
On Friday Rishi Sunak entered the Tory leadership race, vowing to “restore trust” and “reunite the country” after Boris Johnson’s scandal-tainted reign.
“I’m standing to be the next leader of the Conservative Party and your Prime Minister. Let’s restore trust, rebuild the economy and reunite the country,” Mr Sunak tweeted.
The Treasury has defended the focus groups against criticism of the vast cost by arguing they “measure the understanding of policies” – but the man said he was never asked about any policies.
Instead, the group was told its purpose was to “determine whether the Conservative party can be held accountable for the cost of living problems you have experienced”, he alleged.
The seven participants, at the 90-minute session held in the West Midlands in late April, were then asked if they agreed that “no government could have acted to prevent the cost of living crisis”.
“I was shocked and disgusted by what happened, which seemed to be an attempt to indoctrinate the group,” said the whistleblower, who was required to sign a non-disclosure agreement.
“It left me feeling very dirty, that – although...
False sexual or rape allegations can have devastating consequences for the accused, including reputational damage, loss of employment and emotional trauma. In Nigeria, current legislation focuses ...