Hyderabad: Indian-origin Rishi Sunak officially became the United Kingdom's first Hindu Prime Minister on Tuesday. At 42, Sunak is also the youngest to hold the post in over two centuries. Sunak met King Charles at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday.
The meeting between King Charles and Sunak marked the symbolic handover of power. Soon after, Sunak addressed the United Kingdom as its 57th PM. He said that he would work day in and day out for building an economy that embraces the opportunities of Brexit but pointed out he will take "difficult decisions" to achieve the same.
"Right now our country is facing a profound economic crisis. The aftermath of Covid still lingers. Putin’s war in Ukraine has destabilised energy markets and supply chains the world over," Sunak said as he began his speech.
He then paid tribute to his predecessor Liz Truss and said she was not wrong to want to improve growth in this country. "It is a noble aim. And I admired her restlessness to create change. But some mistakes were made. Not borne of ill will or bad intentions.
Quite the opposite, in fact. But mistakes nonetheless. And I have been elected as leader of my party, and your Prime Minister, in part, to fix them," he said. Sunak said that he will place economic stability and confidence at the heart of this government’s agenda, which would mean "difficult decisions to come".
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"But you saw me during Covid, doing everything I could, to protect people and businesses, with schemes like furlough. There are always limits, more so now than ever, but I promise you this. I will bring that same compassion to the challenges we face today," the PM said.
He added that the government he leads "will not leave the next generation, your children and grandchildren, with a debt to settle that we were too weak to pay ourselves". "I will unite our country, not with words, but with action. I will work day in and day out to deliver for you," he said.
Sunak assured that his government will have "integrity, professionalism and accountability at every level". "Trust is earned. And I will earn yours," he said. The UK PM said he will always be grateful to Boris Johnson for his "incredible achievements" as Prime Minister. He said he treasured his "warmth and generosity of spirit".
Sunak said he knows Boris would agree that the mandate "my party earned in 2019 is not the sole property of any one individual". "It is a mandate that belongs to and unites all of us. And the heart of that mandate is our manifesto. I will deliver on its promise," he said while promising a stronger NHS, better schools, safer streets, control of borders, protecting the environment, and supporting the armed forces.
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Sunak said he will work to level up and build an economy that embraces the opportunities of Brexit, where businesses invest, innovate, and create jobs. "I understand how difficult this moment is. After the billions of pounds it cost us to combat Covid, after all the dislocation that caused in the midst of a terrible war that must be seen successfully to its conclusions I fully appreciate how hard things are," he said.
The Britain PM said he understood that he has work to do to "restore trust after all that has happened". "All I can say is that I am not daunted. I know the high office I have accepted and I hope to live up to its demands. But when the opportunity to serve comes along, you cannot question the moment, only your willingness," he said in his maiden speech.
"I stand here before you ready to lead our country into the future. To put your needs above politics. To reach out and build a government that represents the very best traditions of my party. Together we can achieve incredible things. We will create a future worthy of the sacrifices so many have made and fill tomorrow, and every day thereafter with hope," he said while concluding his speech.
Earlier in the day, speaking after chairing her final Cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street, the outgoing PM Liz Truss said that her government had acted "urgently and decisively" to help hard-working families and provided assistance to thousands of businesses to avoid bankruptcy.
Truss, who stepped down last Thursday after 45 days in office becoming Britain's shortest-serving Prime Minister, said that her government had acted "urgently and decisively" to help hard-working families.
