RISHI Sunak took a questions from Tory councillors planted to look like warehouse workers during a live TV appearance.
On Thursday morning, broadcasters including Sky News showed Sunak at a campaign event in Derbyshire where he took questions from workers at a William West and Sons distribution centre.
One of the workers, wearing a hi-vis jacket and standing amongst all the others, was singled out by Sunak to ask a question.
After thanking the Tory leader for visiting, the worker said: “I imagine you're a pretty busy guy right now.
READ MORE: John Swinney hits back at question from BBC presenter on SNP finances
“The biggest issue, I think, is going to be immigration over this General Election campaign.
“You've obviously got your Rwanda plan, but is it going to see results and stop the small boats coming?”
However, Byline Times has identified the worker as Conservative councillor Ross Hills.
Hills (below, holding microphone) told that paper it was him asking the question, and said he had been asked to attend.
His identity was not made clear during the live broadcast.
Beginning his answer to the Tory plant, which went on for more than two minutes, Sunak thanked him for the “important question”.
Later, Byline Times reported that the first "worker" who had asked Sunak a question was also a Tory councillor: Ben Hall-Evans.
Again, Hall-Evens was not identified during the broadcast.
Elsewhere on Thursday, Sunak admitted that no deportation flights to Rwanda would take off before the election on July 4.
Keir Starmer has accused the Tory leader of never believing the Rwanda deportation plan would work.
The Labour leader said: “I don’t think he’s ever believed that plan is going to work, and so he has called an election early enough to have it not tested before the election.
“We have to deal with the terrible loss of control of the border under this Government, we have to tackle the small boats that are coming across but nobody should be making that journey.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel