Rishi Sunak jokes he’s ‘avoided pneumonia’ after wet election launch – as he explains Downing Street call to Yorkshire voters at Wetherspoon’s
The prime minister has joked he avoided catching pneumonia after making his election announcement speech outside Number 10 in the pouring rain.
Speaking during a breakfast meeting with ex-servicemen in his constituency of Richmond, North Yorkshire, Rishi Sunak assured concerned local Vicky Rudd of his health, but couldn’t guarantee his suit survived the wet weather.
He told the group at The Buck Inn Wetherspoon’s pub on Saturday: “It was wet. The number of people who have given me an umbrella over the last couple of days…”
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Mr Sunak added: “That’s our tradition, the prime minister, in the big moments, they call the election and they go out there.
“I thought, come rain or shine, it’s the right thing to do.
“But no pneumonia yet, my suit on the other hand… I’m not quite sure what state it will be in when I get back down to London.”
Pic: PA
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The prime minister also held back from tucking into one of the six large breakfasts that were brought over to the group of eight veterans.
He spoke with the group for around 20 minutes and did not take any questions from the media.
Rishi Sunak delivers a speech calling for a general election in soaking wet suit
His visit comes after Bim Afolami, the Treasury minister, dismissed suggestions the prime minister was “taking the day off” campaigning.
“It’s not right,” Mr Afolami told Sky News when asked if the prime minister was having a day off. “He’s going to be campaigning in Yorkshire.”
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Sunak did not eat any breakfast, sticking to his cup of tea instead. Pic: PA
The prime minister has faced a difficult first two days of campaigning, encountering several hiccups on his UK-wide tour.
A visit to the Titanic Quarter in Belfast invited undesirable “sinking ship” comparisons with his party’s fortunes, while at a brewery in Wales, he made a footballing gaffe about the Euros.
Sir Keir Starmer stopped for a cuppa while campaigning in the West Midlands on 25 May. Pic: PA
Despite this, Mr Sunak insists he is “pumped up” and “up for the fight” against Labour’s Sir Keir Starmer.
This weekend, clashes between the two parties on the economy are set to take centre stage as Sir Keir begins campaigning in the West Midlands on the cost of living crisis.
Two US Senators have introduced legislation aimed at cracking down on crypto fraud and scams by equipping law enforcement with better tools to spot attacks and identify perpetrators.
The Strengthening Agency Frameworks for Enforcement of Cryptocurrency (SAFE) Act, introduced by Democrat Elissa Slotkin and Republican Jerry Moran on Monday, seeks to coordinate action between the US Treasury, law enforcement, regulators and private sector players to tackle crypto fraud and scams.
“This task force, established by the SAFE Cryptocurrency Act, will allow us to draw upon every resource we have to combat fraud in digital assets,” Slotkin said, while Moran added:
“As cryptocurrency becomes more widely used, this legislation would help counter threats and make certain all Americans are better protected from crypto scams.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation reported Americans lost $9.3 billion to crypto-related investment scams in 2024, marking a 66% increase from 2023. Individuals over 60 were the worst affected, accounting for losses of $2.84 billion.
It should be noted that the figure includes any investment scam that simply mentions crypto as part of its ploy. Many do not involve blockchain or cryptocurrencies.
Despite public and private efforts to raise awareness, crypto fraudsters and scammers have found more sophisticated ways to steal funds from investors.
However, Gabriel Shapiro, general counsel of crypto investment firm Delphi Labs, noted that a successful implementation of the SAFE Crypto Act could prompt crypto fraudsters and scammers into a state of panic .
“Scammers will probably end up shitting themselves if this goes hard,” Shapiro said in a post to X on Tuesday, noting that the attorney general, the director of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network and the director of the United States Secret Service would be among the highest-ranking officials involved in pursuing crypto criminals.
Shapiro said the SAFE Crypto Act could be “very useful” as the US securities and commodity regulators currently aren’t as focused on enforcement action against hackers, scammers and Ponzi scheme operators.
TRM Labs among the private players to lend a hand
Blockchain forensic firm TRM Labs is among the private sector players ready to assist US officials, with its vice president and global head of policy, Ari Redbord, stating that a collaboration would help track and disrupt illicit networks in real-time:
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“By bringing industry and law enforcement together, we can meaningfully reduce criminals’ ability to exploit transformative technologies for harm.”
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Digital asset platform Exodus has partnered with MoonPay to launch a US dollar-backed stablecoin for everyday payments.
The Exodus Movement, which is also behind a popular crypto wallet, announced on Tuesday that its fully reserved dollar stablecoin is planned for launch in early 2026. The stablecoin will be issued and managed by MoonPay, a leading crypto payments platform and fiat on-ramp.
The stablecoin will be developed using M0, a stablecoin infrastructure platform that allows companies to build, issue and manage their own custom stablecoins.
The new stablecoin, which has not been named, aims to simplify digital dollar transactions for consumers without requiring crypto knowledge. It will integrate into Exodus Pay, allowing users to spend and send money while maintaining self-custody.
“Stablecoins are quickly becoming the simplest way for people to hold and move dollars onchain, but the experience still needs to meet the expectations set by today’s consumer apps,” said JP Richardson, co-founder and CEO of Exodus.
The stablecoin gold rush continues
MoonPay launched its enterprise stablecoin business in November to issue and manage digital dollars across multiple blockchains while integrating with M0’s open infrastructure.
“Enterprises want stablecoins that are programmable, interoperable and tailored to a specific product experience,” said Luca Prosperi, co-founder and CEO of M0.
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Banks and crypto firms have rushed to offer their own stablecoins this year, spurred by the passage of the GENIUS Act in July, which introduced a clear federal regulatory framework for fiat-backed stablecoins in the United States.
The Trump family DeFi platform, World Liberty Financial, launched the USD1 stablecoin in March, global payments platform Stripe introduced stablecoin-based accounts to clients in over 100 countries in May, and Tether announced a regulatory-compliant stablecoin called USAT in September.
Two stablecoin players dominate the sector
The new Exodus and MoonPay stablecoin is entering a crowded market still dominated by two primary players.
Tether (USDT) remains the biggest stablecoin issuer with a market share of around 60% and a circulating supply of $186 billion, while Circle’s USDC is second with a 25% share and $78 billion market cap.
These two alone comprise 85% of the total stablecoin market capitalization, which is over $310 billion, according to CoinGecko.
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The UK is to rejoin the European Union’s Erasmus student exchange scheme, according to reports.
The popular programme, which allowed Britons to spend a year studying at European universities as part of their degree without paying extra fees and vice versa for their European counterparts, ended for British students after Brexit on 1 January 2021.
But ministers could announce the UK will rejoin Erasmus from January 2027 as soon as Wednesday, The Times and The Guardian have reported.
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Sir Keir Starmer promised a post-Brexit reset deal with Brussels and announced the government was working on rejoining the programme in May.
Negotiations have included work on “mutually agreed financial terms” for the UK and the EU.
The UK had pushed for a discount on membership fees, which are calculated on the basis of a country’s gross domestic product (GDP), The Times reported.
It said the EU is understood to have offered the government a 30% reduction of fees in the first year of membership.
Labour MP Darren Frith told Sky News’ Politics Hub he would “welcome” such a move.
The Guardian reported that as well as university-based study exchanges, British students will be able to participate in vocational training placements under the scheme.
Cabinet Office minister Nick Thomas-Symonds held talks with Maros Sefcovic, the European Commission’s trade lead, in Brussels last week.
A Cabinet Office spokesman said: “We are not commenting on ongoing talks.”
But the UK’s universities welcomed the apparent breakthrough.
Tim Bradshaw, chief executive of the Russell Group of leading universities, said: “We’re delighted at the UK’s association to Erasmus+.
“With an even greater scope than previous programmes, Erasmus+ opens up fantastic opportunities for students, adult learners and young people to all benefit from new experiences and learning.
“It will also renew the huge contributions that EU students and staff make to life on our university campuses.”
The Lib Dems, who have been campaigning to rejoin Erasmus, welcomed the news.
Leader Sir Ed Davey said: “This is a moment of real opportunity and a clear step towards repairing the disastrous Conservative Brexit deal.”
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