UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak visits Copper Rivet distillery on his 40th birthday

He’s spent billions of pounds keeping the UK economy from collapse and worked hard this week to extend the government’s furlough scheme.

UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak appeared spellbound by Copper Rivet’s hand sanitiser production (Photo: HM Treasury/Simon Walker)

But UK chancellor Rishi Sunak still managed to make time for a visit to Copper Rivet Distillery in Kent yesterday.

‘Dishy’ Rishi Sunak, 40, celebrated his birthday with a socially distanced distillery tour right after addressing the House of Commons.

With such a busy schedule, the Chancellor of the Exchequer had no time to change. Sunak sported the same single-breasted dark navy suit, white shirt and turquoise tie he wore to Westminster that morning.

The Conservative MP for Richmond (Yorks) – who had just announced the government’s Job Retention Scheme will be extended to October while fielding an urgent question from shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds, finished his look with a pair of well-polished black leather shoes.

Sunak cut a sharp figure in a dark navy suit during his socially distanced tour (Photo: HM Treasury/Simon Walker)

The chancellor cut a sharp figure as he made his way through Copper Rivet’s factory, but was careful to stay at least two metres away from distillery founder Stephen Russell.

Sunak appeared fascinated as he leaned in closer to hear all about how Russell and his family have repurposed Copper Rivet’s production to support the fight against COVID 19.

Sunak appeared fascinated as he leaned in closer to hear all about the recent changes at Copper Rivet (Photo: HM Treasury/Simon Walker)

Copper Rivet, which makes Dockyard Gin and Vela Vodka, furloughed its hospitality and tourism staff at the end of March.

Spirits production has also been put on hold so that Copper Rivet’s distillers can produce over 100,000 bottles of hand sanitiser for emergency services instead.

Russell said: “Fellow Kent businesses like Shepherd Neame have helped us out, as have friends, family and ex-employees, who have returned in our hour of need.

“We have always believed in producing something special, wherever possible made from local ingredients; so a future delivering a range of high quality botanically-infused hand sanitisers alongside our gins, our vodka and our Masthouse whisky will be a very exciting option.”

Earlier that day, Sunak told MPs that the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme will remain open until the end of October. The scheme is designed to help businesses retain their workforce during the coronavirus crisis, with the government paying 80% of workers’ salaries up to £2,500 a month.

Furloughed workers will also be able to return to work on a part-time basis from August.

Since being propelled onto the Westminster main stage, has developed an unusual following for his natty tailoring and down-to-earth appeal.

The Chancellor, who extended the business rates holiday announced in March to cover all retail, hospitality and leisure businesses in a bid to keep SMEs afloat, developed the nickname ‘Dishy Rishi’ in the same month when he shared a photo of himself working at home on Twitter.

Working from home and wishing @BorisJohnson and @MattHancock a speedy recovery. #StayHomeSaveLives pic.twitter.com/i3WuABOE4p

— Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) March 27, 2020

Sunak left much to the imagination in a marl grey hoodie and framed glasses as he wished Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who had recently contracted coronavirus, a speedy recovery in hospital.

The chancellor, married Akshata Murthy, the daughter of Indian billionaire and co-founder of Infosys, N. R. Narayana Murthy, in 2009, put his his wedding ring front-and-centre and kept his gaze firmly on the computer monitor.

Author Kavitha Rao, responding to the post, said she thought it was “extremely bizarre to see British women of all political persuasions thirsting over Rishi Sunak.

“Dishy Rishi it seems.”

Anna Mazzola also said: “Pretty sure there is a specific strain of this virus that is making people fancy Rishi Sunak.”

GQ columnist Flora Gill was even moved to write 1,100 words on her passion for the politician last month. While she considers Labour leader Kier Starmer “at a glance” the most attractive figure in Westminster today, “Rishi”, she writes “is the man we’d all self isolate with.”