Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has been issued a fixed penalty notice by Lancashire Police after failing to wear a seatbelt while filming a social media video in a moving car. The 42-year-old from London accepted the conditional offer, with Downing Street confirming he “fully accepts this was a mistake and has apologised” and will pay the fine.
The incident occurred during a trip across the north of England, when the prime minister was filming a video to promote the government’s “levelling up” spending. Passengers caught without a seatbelt when one is available face a £100 fine.
Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab defended Mr Sunak, describing him as “someone with the highest standards of integrity” who had “made a mistake” and “put his hands straight up” in apology. However, Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner called him a “total liability”, while the Liberal Democrats accused him of showing “the same disregard for the rules as Boris Johnson”.
This is the second time Mr Sunak has received a fixed penalty notice while in government. Last April, he was fined for attending a birthday gathering for Boris Johnson in Downing Street during Covid lockdown restrictions.
Conservative MP for Blackpool South Scott Benton urged proportionality, noting that “every single year millions of Britons receive similar fixed penalty notices” and that police should focus on “tackling serious crime”.
