Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email
Please enter a valid email address
Please enter a valid email address
SIGN UP
I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice
Thanks for signing up to the
View from Westminster email
{{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}
A £32 Rishi Sunak Toby jug on sale at the House of Commons gift shop has been mocked online for looking nothing like the prime minister.
Social media users were left perplexed by the ceramic jug, with some saying it bore more resemblance to one of Mr Sunak’s predecessors, Gordon Brown.
Other commenters suggested the jug looked more like former BBC correspondent Jon Sopel or former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe.
A Toby Jug of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson (Houses of Parliament Shop)
(PA Media)
The limited edition Rishi Sunak jug is part of the range made for all modern prime ministers, and follows others depicting Liz Truss and Boris Johnson.
Recommended Budget 2022: Hunt says UK in recession as he announces huge tax rises Jeremy Hunt increases energy windfall tax in budget Jeremy Hunt freezes tax allowances and hits 45p rate payers
Other PMs to be immortalised in mug form include Tony Blair, Winston Churchill, Margaret Thatcher and Theresa May.
A Toby Jug of former Prime Minister Liz Truss (Houses of Parliament Shop)
(Houses of Parliament Shop)
Responding to the 11cm jug, of which 1,500 will be made, internationalist campaign group Best for Britain said: “What is even happening?”
Last August, figures showed 225 Toby jugs of Mr Johnson had been sold since 2019, compared to 157 of Mrs Thatcher and 154 for Mr Churchill.
The jugs are made in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, and 1,500 have been made for each prime minister in the series.
Recommended Boris Johnson emerges as most popular prime minister… among novelty jug buyers Boris Johnson plans swimming pool at £3.8m country manor Sunak says voters will decide whether they think he is out of touch
Shoppers bought 64 Mr Johnsons in 2019/20, 69 in 2020/21, 77 in 2021/22 and 15 so far in the current financial year.
By contrast, 77 Theresa May Toby jugs were sold during her three years in power between 2016 and 2019.
The Conservative former prime minister was fourth on the latest list with 65 sales since 2019/20 followed by Labour’s Tony Blair on 64.
Labour post-war prime minister Clement Atlee sold 58 followed by 46 for Harold Wilson and Sir John Major on 40 – with David Cameron only managing 39 sales and Gordon Brown 34.
Neville Chamberlain was among the least popular prime ministerial Toby jugs over the same period, with 20 sold. Andrew Bonar Law, Ramsay MacDonald and Stanley Baldwin sold 10 each.
More about Rishi Sunak Prime Minister House of Commons BBC Shinzo Abe Gordon Brown
Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments
1/ 3Rishi Sunak’s £32 Toby jug mocked for looking nothing like PM
Rishi Sunak’s £32 Toby jug mocked for looking nothing like PM
A Toby Jug of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson (Houses of Parliament Shop)
PA Media
Rishi Sunak’s £32 Toby jug mocked for looking nothing like PM
A Toby Jug of former Prime Minister Liz Truss (Houses of Parliament Shop)
Houses of Parliament Shop
Rishi Sunak’s £32 Toby jug mocked for looking nothing like PM
Houses of Parliament Shop
? Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Subscribe
Already subscribed? Log in