Sunak faces stormy skies on visit to Bucks film school
The prime minister's been speaking at the National Film and Television School in Beaconsfield
Last updated 22nd Jan 2024
Rishi Sunak was pictured against a backdrop of stormy skies as he toured a TV and film production school.
The Prime Minister, who has faced heavy political weather in Westminster, with a Tory revolt over his Rwanda policy and an opinion poll deficit of more than 20 points, posed in front of the image of threatening clouds.
Mr Sunak also took a turn behind a camera and tried his hand at carpentry during a visit to promote the work of the film and TV industry in the UK.
Speaking at the National Film and Television School in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, the Prime Minister told broadcasters that the sector is one of the UK's "powerhouse industries" and should be "celebrated and supported".
"We have Europe's largest film and TV sector and it contributes billions to our economy, employs millions of people."
He continued: "Pretty much every film that anyone saw last year will have had alumni from this institution working on it and that is something that should be supported by the government as it is because ultimately it helps us grow our economy.
"And that's something that's really important to the country and we're training the next generation of talent right here and they're doing incredible things."
The Government announced in June last year a £77 million funding boost to creative industries.
The investment came as part of the Government's aim to grow the sector by £50 billion and create a million more jobs by 2030.
At that time, the Prime Minister called the creative industries "a true British success story".
At the NFTS, Mr Sunak was shown a scaled-down replica of a set from the movie Alien, built by students on a model-making course.
He discussed his love of Star Wars with a course leader and called the students' work "fantastic" and "impressive".
The politician then made his way to the nearby Pinewood Studios - where a number of Bond films were shot and where Star Wars and Marvel movies have also been filmed.
After taking off his jacket and quipping that he was "getting serious now", Mr Sunak helped glue slats onto a wooden door in a workshop, and was told by carpenter Adam Jellis that he was "a natural".
Jon Wardle, NFTS director, said it was a pleasure to welcome the Prime Minister to the school.
Mr Wardle said: "His enthusiasm and passion for the creative industries added an extra layer of excitement as he saw first-hand the outstanding work crafted by our talented students across a variety of productions.
"The visit also provided an opportunity to highlight the incredible impact NFTS graduates continue to make on the global stage."