Rishi Sunak seen on California summer holiday with family

Credit: PA

Rishi Sunak has been pictured on his summer holiday walking along a pier with his family in California.

The prime minister, his wife Akshata Murty, and two young daughters, Krishna and Anoushka, were pictured at an amusement park on the Santa Monica Pier on Thursday, the first day of their US trip.

The family, who will be heading to Disneyland, posed in front of a Ferris wheel, at a picnic table and with a ring-toss stall offering soft toys as prizes.

While on holiday, Mr Sunak admitted “a lot of people are worried” about the rise in interest rates, which was announced on Thursday.

It's the first family holiday in four years. Credit: AP

He tweeted: “The alternative would make inflation far worse, so what you buy becomes more expensive and what you save, worth less.”

In a video he posted on Twitter, he described inflation as “the single biggest challenge” facing the country and said halving it was his top priority this year.

The prime minister’s press secretary said Mr Sunak will be getting "daily updates from his private office, particularly on anything that is urgent".

She said it would be his first time off "since he became chief secretary to the Treasury almost four years ago".

Before they jetted across the pond a day earlier, Mr Sunak said it would be a "really special" trip after a few years without a "proper" family summer holiday.

Rishi Sunak laughs when asked when he'll call general election
The Prime Minister and family were in California at the time Credit: Emma McIntyre/PA

The family went on holiday to Spain in September 2022 but had to fly home 15 hours later following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

He said his daughters were "very excited" about going to Disneyland before joking they fear they will spend too much time at the Star Wars experience because he is a fan.

Prime ministerial holiday photo shoots are a long tradition, with recent examples including David Cameron being snapped at a Portuguese fish market, and Theresa May hiking in Switzerland.

California is a natural choice for Mr Sunak, who studied at Stanford and worked at a hedge fund there.

While away Greenpeace climbed onto the rough of Rishi Sunak's house. Credit: PA

He said the place is "very special to us" as it is "where I met my wife".

Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden is at the helm in Mr Sunak’s absence, which is expected to last for just over a week.

While the Sunaks were away, back home a group of Greenpeace activists scaled their North Yorkshire mansion to protest against the prime minister’s plans to maximise oil and gas production in the North Sea.

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