Prime Minister Rishi Sunak says pressure to ease economic pain ‘weighs heavily'

The Prime Minister has said the pressure to ease the country's cost of living crisis 'weighs heavily on him'.

Rishi Sunak made the remark during the BBC’s Test Match Special programme on Saturday, in which he was quizzed by cricketing broadcaster Jonathan Agnew over the country's economic issues.

Speaking on household's economic pain, Mr Sunak said it was his 'responsibility to fix it and make the situation better'.

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It comes as inflation continues to remain stubbornly high, while the Bank of England’s decision to hike interest rates threatens more misery for mortgage-holders.

In a lengthy interview during a break in the Ashes test, the Prime Minister was pressed on his motivation to get into politics and the pressure of the job.

He said he was 'very lucky' to have the support of his family, but had felt pressure during his spell as Chancellor of the Exchequer, when 'millions' of people were forcecast to lose their jobs.

“So it was my responsibility then, and I said at the time that weighed very heavily, and right now it weighs heavily on me,” he said.

“We have inflation at the level that it’s at and that’s having an impact on people’s pay packets, their budgets and what they can afford to spend time on, what they can do for their kids.

“Of course that weighs heavily on me, it’s my responsibility to fix it and make the situation better.

“And unfortunately, it’s going take a little bit of time for us to do that. It means I have to do some things that people don’t always love but they’re the right long-term things to help everybody.”

The Prime Minister, who used the interview to discuss his love of cricket, was seated at Lord’s