Labour MP apologises for sharing fake image of Rishi Sunak
A Labour MP has apologised after he shared a fake image of the prime minister on social media.
Karl Turner, who represents Hull East, shared an image on X (formerly known as Twitter) showing Rishi Sunak with a badly pulled pint at the Great British Beer festival, along with a woman looking on disapprovingly in the background.
The post quickly gained attention on the social media platform, with many users questioning its authenticity.
The original image posted on the prime minister’s official account did not feature the same pint or the onlooker giving him a disapproving side-eye.
Science Secretary Michelle Donelan tweeted: “In the era of deepfakes and digitally distorted images, it’s even more important to be able to have reliable sources of information you can trust.
“No elected member of parliament should be misleading the public with fake images. This is pretty desperate stuff from Labour.”
However Mr Turner was defended by Darren Jones, the Labour chair of the Commons Business and Trade Committee, who said: “The real question is: how can anyone know if a photo is a deepfake?
“I wouldn’t criticise Karl Turner for sharing a photo that looks real to me.
“What is your department doing to tackle deep fake photos, especially in advance of the next election?
“Let’s have that discussion.”
Labour MP Karl Turner has apologised
Asked to comment, Mr Turner told Sky News he was “sorry for inadvertently sharing an image which apparently turns out to have been fake”.
“How on earth could I possibly know that the image wasn’t real?,” he said.
“It certainly looks real and struck me exactly as what you would expect of the PM.”
Mr Turner pointed out that Mr Sunak received a fix penalty notice for breaching COVID-19 lockdown regulations and when challenged in parliament “denied entirely that he’d ever attended any of the notorious lockdown parties”.
“The hypocrisy of Tory ministers and MPs is breathtaking,” the Labour MP added.
“I am sorry for inadvertently sharing an image which apparently turns out to have been fake but the image looked a lot like what you would expect from useless out-of-touch billionaire Sunak.”
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The row comes a day after Mr Sunak was heckled as he toured a London beer festival to mark a change in alcohol duty.
The prime minister was pouring a pint of Black Dub stout at the stall of the Wensleydale brewery, which operates from his north Yorkshire constituency, when a person interrupted to say: “Prime minister – oh the irony that you’re raising alcohol duty on the day that you’re pulling a pint.”
Another man then shouted at Mr Sunak – who famously enjoys fizzy drinks: “Prime minister, it’s not Coca Cola.”
The prime minister’s visit came as a new system comes into force that will see all alcohol taxed based on its strength, rather than the previous categories of wine, beer, spirits and ciders.
The Treasury has said that more than 38,000 UK pubs will benefit from the move, which will see the duty on draught pints across the UK cut by 11p.
However, it means taxes will rise for some types of drink, including wine and gin.
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Politics
Sir Keir Starmer set for Donald Trump trade talks as PM walks diplomatic line between EU allies and US on Gaza
Gaza and transatlantic trade are set to dominate talks between Donald Trump and Sir Keir Starmer when the pair meet in Scotland on Monday.
Downing Street said the prime minister would discuss “what more can be done to secure the ceasefire [in the Middle East] urgently”, during the meeting at the president’s Turnberry golf course in Ayrshire.
Talks in Qatar over a ceasefire ended on Thursday after the US and Israel withdrew their negotiating teams.
Mr Trump blamed Hamas for the collapse of negotiations as he left the US for Scotland, saying the militant group “didn’t want to make a deal… they want to die”.
Sir Keir has tried to forge close personal ties with the president, frequently praising his actions on the world stage despite clear foreign policy differences between the US and UK.
The approach seemed to pay off in May when Mr Trump announced the agreement of a trade deal with the UK that would see several tariffs lowered.
The two leaders are expected to discuss this agreement when they meet, with the prime minister likely to press the president for a lowering of outstanding tariffs on imports such as steel.
Prior to the visit, the White House said the talks would allow them to “refine the historic US-UK trade deal”.
Extracting promises from the president on the Middle East may be harder though.
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Should aid be dropped into Gaza?
Despite some reports that Mr Trump is growing frustrated with Israel, there is a clear difference in tone between the US and its Western allies.
As he did over the Ukraine war, Sir Keir will have to walk a diplomatic line between the UK’s European allies and the White House.
On Thursday, French President Emmanuel Macron announced his country would formally recognise a Palestinian state in September, the first member of the G7 to do so.
That move was dismissed by Mr Trump, who said it “doesn’t carry any weight”.
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The UK, French and German leaders spoke over the weekend and agreed to work together on the “next phase” in Gaza that would see transitional governance and security arrangements put in place, alongside the large-scale delivery of aid.
Under pressure from members of his own party and cabinet to follow France and signal formal recognition of Palestine, Sir Keir has gradually become more critical of Israel in recent months.
On Friday, the prime minister said “the starvation and denial of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people, the increasing violence from extremist settler groups, and Israel’s disproportionate military escalation in Gaza are all indefensible”.
Government sources say UK recognition is a matter of “when, not if”, however, it’s thought Downing Street wants to ensure any announcement is made at a time when it can have the greatest diplomatic impact.
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Baby Zainab starved to death in Gaza
Cabinet ministers will be convened in the coming days, during the summer recess, to discuss the situation in Gaza.
The UK has also been working with Jordan to air drop supplies, after Israel said it would allow foreign countries to provide aid to the territory.
President Trump’s trip to Scotland comes ahead of his second state visit to the UK in September.
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Downing Street says Ukraine will also likely be discussed in the meeting with both men reflecting on what can be done to force Russia back to the negotiating table.
After the meeting at Turnberry, the prime minister will travel with the president to Aberdeen for a private engagement.
Mr Trump is also expected to meet Scottish First Minister John Swinney while in the country.
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