George Osborne said Rishi Sunak made a “mistake” by not attending the World Economic Forum summit in Davos, Switzerland, this week.
The former chancellor said the prime minister could have told business bosses and world leaders a “good story about his premiership” but instead he “left the Labor field open”.
Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Shadow Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds attended the event. Lord Cameron, the Foreign Secretary, and Jeremy Hunt, the Chancellor, represented the government.
Mr Osborne said on his Political Currency podcast: “If anything, it is the absence of Conservative ministers, with the notable exception of my friend David Cameron, who was here as Foreign Secretary but of course is not in the House of Commons – the absence of Conservative ministers Minister and the deliberate absence of Rishi Sunak, which I personally think is a mistake, I think he should be here.
“I mean, this is his natural environment. If he were here he could tell a good story about his time as Prime Minister, he left the field to Labor.
“And it really feels like it is Labor rather than the Conservatives who are holding the microphone for Britain at this global meeting.”
