Rishi Sunak has been pictured using the pen with erasable ink several times. (AFP File Photo)
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak uses pens with erasable ink to make handwritten notes on official documents, according to a report in The Guardian. This has prompted concerns about secrecy within 10, Downing Street. The outlet further said that Mr Sunak has been pictured using a disposable Pilot V pens during his time both as chancellor and now Prime Minister. This has sparked concerns that his writing could be erased from papers handed over to official inquiries or used by historians piecing together the workings of the government.
The pens retail for 4.75 pounds (Rs 495) in the UK, as per The Guardian and carry an “erasable ink” logo. They are marketed as “ideal for those learning to write with ink because if you make a mistake, the ink erases using standard ink eradicators”.
No 10 insiders claim the UK Prime Minister keeps all of his notes, while Mr Sunak’s press secretary said: “This is a pen provided by and used widely by the civil service. The Prime Minister has never used the erase function and nor would he.”
Mr Sunak has been pictured using the pen with erasable ink at Cabinet a fortnight ago, as well as while signing official letters and at a meeting of the European political community in Moldova this month.
Tom Brake, who heads campaign group Unlock Democracy, told The Guardian that use of the pens further erodes public trust.
“When trust in politicians is at an all-time low, the PM signing official documents in erasable ink could push it through the floor and into the basement,” he said.
The written notes are of paramount importance for historians as they provide valuable information about important events. For example, Margaret Thatcher’s handwritten notes revealed her plans for emergency measures at the height of the miners’ strike and Cabinet disagreements over the Falklands invasion.