Home tours and talk of furnishings are not the PR dream politicians believe

The Sunaks are the latest to offer an insight into their lives, writes Sean O’Grady, but such intrusions usually only ever cause minor controversy

Prime minister Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murthy look on as the Christmas tree lights are turned on outside No 10 (Getty)

Readers dipping into the latest edition of Tatler are treated to a generous-to-the-point-of-sycophancy profile of Akshata Murthy – businesswoman, billionaire’s daughter and spouse of the prime minister.

The image is of a busy parent balancing family, political and work commitments. The family is also featured on the official Christmas card, all mucking in (taking place in an unnaturally neat kitchen) to make a cake or something. The hope may be that the publicity will offset the continuing economic disaster and Rishi Sunak's strange recent exchange about a career in finance with a homeless person, much derided, fairly or not.

Indeed, “new details” about Murthy’s renunciation of her non-dom status – revealed in The Independent earlier this year – are offered in the article. The Sunaks must be acutely conscious that they are by far the wealthiest people to occupy the old council house in Downing Street, and they do so at a time of “great anxiety and headship”, in the words of the King.