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Becca Monaghan
Aug 12, 2022
'What?': Boris Johnson dodges question on 'if he'll answer Rishi Sunak's calls'
Sky News
Rishi Sunak's £400,000 swimming pool is coming along nicely – just as parts of England face the driest summer in 50 years.
Aerial footage shows the construction of the mini leisure complex at his £1.5 million mansion, after being granted permission for his swimming pool, gym and adjoining tennis court.
The project will likely cost the Tory leader contender more than £400,000 and is estimated to cost £13,000 yearly to keep warm.
Last year, the ex-Chancellor and his wife applied for permission to build a gym, a 12-metre by 5-metre swimming pool, four showers and utilities and storage rooms.
The going rate for just a pool that size is around £120,000 without excavation works. One leading firm said a fully insulated building starts at around £405,000. And, that's before additional funds for gym equipment, construction of the single-storey building and full-size tennis courts.
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\u201cMany local authorities no longer have a public swimming pool-meanwhile Rishi Sunak's swimming pool at his luxury mansion in Yorkshire is almost finished\u201d— Barbara (@Barbara) 1660204218
\u201cWill @RishiSunak be allowed to fill his new swimming pool #Drought2022\u201d— Yanto (@Yanto) 1660301776
\u201cHe's entitled to do it, but building a 400k swimming pool, while the country is in a drought, and while families can't afford to eat, and then asking people to vote him as leader of the country is peak Conservative smugness. It's truly crass. #RishiSunak\u201d— Vitt (@Vitt) 1660306235
\u201cWhile working class families are struggling to pay their bills and face a hosepipe ban, @RishiSunak is spaffing \u00a3400,000 on a new swimming pool for his family mansion. \n\nCunt.\n\n#ToriesOut #EnoughIsEnough\u201d— Alex Hates Tories (@Alex Hates Tories) 1660305376
\u201c#gmb conserve water now rishi sunak needs to fill his luxery swimming pool\u201d— berniebernie64 (@berniebernie64) 1660287906
\u201c60 public pools lost in the last 3 years! How refreshing those would\u2019ve been in this hot weather\ud83d\ude1e Oh well, perhaps Rishi Sunak will invite us all round for a pool party!\ud83c\udfca https://t.co/Jckkp2oWIS\u201d— Claire R (@Claire R) 1660240118
Meanwhile, the cost of living crisis lives on for Brits, and now, a drought has been declared for parts of England which could lead to a hosepipe ban.
The conditions, which have almost completely deprived some areas of rainfall all summer, have prompted the National Drought Group to move parts of the South West, parts of southern and central England, and the East of England into official drought status.
The change could lead to more measures such as hosepipe bans. However, the Environment Agency has reassured the public that essential water supplies are safe.
Water minister Steve Double said the Government was already taking action, the EA and others to manage the impacts.
"All water companies have reassured us that essential supplies are still safe, and we have made it clear it is their duty to maintain those supplies," he said.
"We are better prepared than ever before for periods of dry weather, but we will continue to closely monitor the situation, including impacts on farmers and the environment, and take further action as needed."
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