Sunak's meeting with leader of Qatar sparks Manchester United speculation
By Lewis Denison, ITV News Westminster Producer
Rishi Sunak has said the UK and Qatar have "such a close partnership" and should strengthen their economic ties, in comments which have angered human rights campaigners but sparked rumours among Manchester United fans.
The prime minister, who is meeting world leaders amid a drubbing in the local elections, said he and Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani would be discussing how to strengthen economic ties in their Downing Street summit.
"It's such a pleasure to welcome you to the UK, back to the UK and Downing Street," Mr Sunak said, adding that the pair would have a "great conversation about strengthening our economic partnership, where I think there is lots we can do on the investment and jobs front".
The Qatari leader said he was happy to be in London for the coronation, as he wished the King and all the people of the UK and Commonwealth "all the best".
Amnesty International UK’s head of policy and government affairs, said the PM should "take the opportunity of today’s meeting to press Sheikh Tamim over the unfinished business of compensating thousands of migrant workers who were systematically exploited in Qatar in the run-up to the World Cup".
“And the PM should use what he calls the UK’s great partnership with Doha to insist that Qatar abolishes its disgraceful anti-LGBTQ+ laws, as well as lifting unacceptable restrictions on free speech and on women’s rights.
“Ministers regularly talk up trade and employment opportunities when they meet Gulf leaders, but they’re far too muted on human rights issues - this needs to change.”
Dozens of social media users raised the same concerns, with one writing: "Shame on slippery Rishi Sunak. Qatar are not a country we should be boasting about being friends with."
Downing Street released a readout of the summit, saying the pair discussed the conflict in Sudan and Ukraine but there was no mention of human rights.
And while the comments angered human rights campaigners, they sent the rumour mill turning in Manchester, where fans are hoping their current owners the Glazer family will soon leave the club.
The government has previously been urged to block a Qatari bid to buy Manchester United, but many social media users suggested the Downing Street summit showed that would not happen.
"United sold then," wrote one user, while another said "Yea Qatari’s are buying Utd" (sic).
Many on Twitter urged their club to "get the deal done", and one even joked that Mr Sunak would "close the United takeover deal" on behalf of the club's current owners.
The bid to buy the football team is being made by Sheikh Jassim, the chairman of Qatar Islamic Bank and the son of a former Qatari prime minister, but critics say it would effectively be a state purchase.
Sheikh Jassim is currently understood to be in a bidding war over purchasing the club, with Britain's richest man Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
There is no suggestion the government would block any takeover of Manchester United, however Uefa, the governing body of European football, has been asked to step in.
Human rights group FairSquare has written to UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin asking him to block the purchase, according to the Athletic.
The group cited Freedom House's World Freedom Index, which has classified Qatar as "not free", and pointed to its most recent assessment criticising Qatar's record on the rule of law, corruption, and political participation.
Homosexuality is illegal in Qatar and anyone found participating in same-sex sexual activity can be punished by up to seven years in prison.
The nation also operates a version of Islamic Sharia law that criminalises sexual activity between men and carries a maximum penalty of death by stoning, even though there is limited evidence of the law being enforced in recent years.
Women in Qatar continue to face “severe discrimination and violence due to abusive male guardianship policies”, Human Rights Watch reported last year.And it is a criminal offence in Qatar to criticise the Emir, insult the nation’s flag, defame religion, including to blaspheme, or inciting “to overthrow the regime”, according to Human Rights Watch.
Prime Minister Sunak also met the prime ministers of Australia and New Zealand in Downing Street but not even the King's coronation, which has brought them to the UK, has been enough to distract from disastrous early local election results for his party.
The PM was pictured delivering breakfast, and likely condolences, to Conservative Campaign Headquarters early on Friday morning after learning that several former Tory-run councils had been toppled.
On Thursday he accepted the local elections would be "tough" for his party but on Friday morning refused to concede defeat, despite ever growing losses to Labour and the Liberal Democrats.
He defended the early election results, insisting he was not "detecting any massive ground swell of movement towards the Labour Party".
"Well if you look at the result we've only had a quarter of the results in, so it's hard to draw firm conclusions," he said.
"We're actually making progress in key election battlegrounds, like Peterborough, like Sandwell, like Bassetlaw for example."