Watch: Rishi Sunak appears to suggest Darlington is in Scotland in interview gaffe
Darlington #Darlington
Rishi Sunak appeared to confuse Darlington as part of Scotland in an interview with The Spectator.
The clip has been shared on social media amassing over 25,000 views in less than an hour.
The Tory leadership candidate was being quizzed on his stance on the Union on Spectator TV and whether he would spend more time in Scotland.
He was asked whether he would be spending more time ‘north of the border’ – but appeared to suggest that he would be spending more time in Scotland –by referencing his visits to Darlington.
When asked if unlike other Tory leaders he would be in Scotland often he said: “I think people can already see I take that seriously – I was the Chancellor who set up an economic campus for the government and for the treasury of Darlington.
READ MORE: Tory leadership contest: Surge for Liz Truss as Kemi Badenoch eliminated
“Not only did I set it up and it was going incredibly well when I left, and I am sure it still is, I also spent a lot of time there myself personally and ensured that all my ministers also did in the department, because its not enough to just set up these things, if you want to demonstrate that they matter to you being there is really important.”
The interviewer gave perplexed looks as Sunak finished his answer, and it appears that many on social media have been left equally confused.
One user wrote: “Darlington isn’t in Scotland.”
Another commented on the interviewers face when he first mentioned Darlington writing: “The moment she realised that Darlington is in fact, not in Scotland”
One other wrote: “As someone that was born in a different country, and has lived in Scotland/UK for a while now, I have a very important question:
“How do you confuse Durham with Scotland?”
Others added onto the joke with one Twitter using chiming in “He probably meant to say Doncaster.”
Some defended Sunak however with one social media user writing: “I mean I am no fan of Sunak, and I can’t believe that your disingenuous point is actually making me defend him, but the point he’s making is that he is claiming to have instigated dispersal of departments to areas in the UK that need jobs/growth/investment.”