The best Rishi Sunak memes as prime minister announces 2024 general election in the rain

He didn’t quite say, ”Is it still raining? I hadn't noticed,” but Rishi Sunak’s determination to give his general election announcement without an umbrella made the prime minister an instant meme.

Social media did what it does best as a rain-sodden Mr Sunak was forced to raise his voice above the D:Ream song Things Can Only Get Better, which protester Steve Bray blasted out of a boombox.

There was a lot of material to work with and X (formerly Twitter) users didn’t disappoint with their comical mocking of the PM as he announced the July 4 election.

Mr Sunak earned comparisons to Withnail & I, Only Fools & Horses and, inevitably, Alan Partridge. Meanwhile, the Brenda from Bristol video from 2017 was, of course, given another airing.

Here are some of the best memes of Mr Sunak’s surprise announcement.

Four Weddings and a Funeral 2?

Withnail & I referenced

Rodney from Only Fools and Horses comparison

Another outing for the bus photo

This photo was originally used on BBC Look North in 2021 and showed the prime minister promoting local transport.

But his chat with a local bus user has been parodied many times — with the latest offering joking that the PM might have been asking for a coat.

The wally without a brolly

Nick Murphy wondered if the former England manager Steve McClaren has put a generation off umbrella use. McClaren was nicknamed "the wally with the brolly" after England's 3-2 defeat to Croatia in November 2007, leading to their failure to qualify for the 2008 European Championship.

During the crucial match, McClaren stood on the sidelines holding an umbrella (brolly) to shield himself from the rain. This was widely ridiculed because it symbolised his perceived ineffectiveness and poor game management.

A bad D:Ream?

Things Can Only Get Better was released more than 30 years ago in 1993 and the song still haunts the Conservative Party.

Labour used it as its anthem during its successful election campaign in 1997 and it was blasted out again on Wednesday night.

Comparison to Ralph Wiggum... the final insult?

No, apparently it gets worse

With a textbook comparison to Alan Partridge.

The TUC joins in the fun

Another old adversary of the Tories, the TUC (Trades Union Congress), joined in on the fun.