Readers on why we should not mock the prime minister’s efforts to engage with Dean, a homeless man
When I first saw the headlines about Rishi Sunak asking a homeless man if he was in business, I shared the view that it showed how out of touch he was with reality – that’s what headlines do. The thoughtful article by Simon Hattenstone and Daniel Lavelle made me rethink and recognise my own prejudices and preconceptions, which I usually try to be aware of and compensate for (Critics mocked Sunak for asking a homeless man if he is in business. The critics are wrong, 27 December).
Homeless people are drawn from many walks of life, yet we persist in thinking that they must be people of low capacity, with poor prospects, who are somehow responsible in some way for their homelessness. The writers are right when they say: “The fact that this conversation became a source of hilarity for so many people says more about us and our prejudices than it does about Sunak.”
