Ruth Davidson mocks Rishi Sunak on visit to Titanic Quarter in Belfast saying 'Is there a double agent in CCHQ writing headlines?'

The former Scottish Tory leader questioned the campaign visit to the site of something ‘famous for sinking’

Former Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson has mocked Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s campaign gaffes, including a visit to Belfast’s Titanic Quarter today, suggesting there must be “a double agent in CCHQ”.

The Prime Minister has had a difficult start to the election campaign after being soaked in Downing Street and drowned out by D:Ream’s Labour anthem as he announced the election, making a footballing gaffe in Wales, and seeing some unfortunate comparisons being drawn with his party’s fortunes on his visit to Titanic’s birthplace.

“Are you captaining a sinking ship going into this election?” a Belfast reporter asked him on Friday.

Baroness Davidson, took to X, to make her feelings clear.

"The deluge launch drowned out by D:Ream. A brewery visit with a teetotal PM, so no chance of a piss up. Now a site visit to something famous for sinking. Is there a double agent in CCHQ, and were they a headline writer in a previous life? Our candidates deserve better,” she wrote.

Mr Sunak today insisted he was “up for the fight” despite the setbacks and gaffes.

He said: “I love doing this. I’ve been doing it since the beginning of the year, I’ve been out and about pretty much two, three days a week since the beginning of the year and I love it.

Rishi Sunak talks to journalists on his plane as he travels from Northern Ireland. Photos: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire

“I love talking to people, I love having the debate, I love having the Q&A with people, answering their questions, making sure they know what I’m about and I’m really confident that over the next few weeks we’re going to have a really good conversation as a country about the future we want.”

But he acknowledged there were also “difficult days” as Prime Minister, adding he drew inspiration from Tory MP Craig Mackinlay, who returned to Parliament on Wednesday after undergoing a quadruple amputation.

On the plane, Mr Sunak would not be drawn on the contents of the Conservative manifesto, including whether or not his flagship smoking ban would be in it.

Prospects for passing the ban before the election collapsed on Friday, with the Bill not appearing in Parliament’s final “wash-up” sessions before it is prorogued and then dissolved.

The Prime Minister said he was “disappointed” that he had been unable to pass the ban that would see the smoking age increase by a year every year but remained fully committed to the policy.

He also declined to comment on whether the manifesto would include a commitment to leave the European Convention on Human Rights – seen by some as a potential stumbling block to his Rwanda policy – or whether there would be specific tax cuts.

Mr Sunak said: “I will give you exactly the same answer to any question about the manifesto and that is wait for the manifesto.”

But he repeated his line that the election presented a “clear choice” between the Conservatives and Labour, saying the latter would only raise taxes.