Rishi Sunak, new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, promises to “right the wrongs”

The UK has a new prime minister. Rishi Sunak received this October 25 commission from King Charles III to become the leader of the Government, one day after his victory within the British Conservative Party, which is experiencing an internal crisis after the resignation of Liz Truss.

Sunak, from his official residence, at number 10 Downing Street, said that the priority of his Administration is to restore “confidence” to the population, recover “economic stability”, in a context of a deep economic and social crisis in which fundamentally “amends the errors” of past administrations.

During his first speech, Sunak said he will work to unite his party and the country, as well as focus on improving Britain’s battered economy. He also made reference to the employment protection program that he himself introduced when he was Finance Minister in the Boris Johnson Administration.

This plan gave the current prime minister great popularity during the pandemic for giving billions in support to businesses and workers affected by the confinements due to Covid-19. Now Sunak will have to oversee tax increases and public spending cuts, while he adds his efforts to control inflation and public debt.

The leader acknowledged that he will have to make “difficult decisions” and said that his government can expect “integrity, professionalism and responsibility at all levels.”

“The government I lead will not leave the next generation, their children and grandchildren, a debt that we were too weak to pay ourselves,” he told the media stationed in Downing Street.

Despite the criticism, the new British head of government said he admired “the noble objective” of his successor Liz Truss, who previously presented her official resignation at Buckingham Palace for sowing chaos in the financial markets after announcing her plan to tax cuts.

01:49

The new British prime minister is expected to begin the formation of his cabinet of ministers this Tuesday and to appear before Parliament on Wednesday to address deputies as the holder of his new position.

The first great test as prime minister will be assumed on Monday, October 31, when the Government will present its medium-term fiscal plan to balance the battered public finances.

“This Government will have integrity, professionalism and responsibility at all levels (…) I am aware of the high position that I have accepted and I hope to live up to its demands. When the opportunity to serve presents itself, you cannot question the moment” , said.

Sunak “is seen as someone who is not on the side of the people”

He added that he is not “intimidated” into taking up his new role, after the opposition called for early general elections to give Britons “the option to decide their future”, after having three different Conservative prime ministers in less of two months.

Many of his opponents have described Sunak as out of touch with the concerns of ordinary people by coming from a wealthy family and having had great economic privileges, such as access to private schools and a large accumulated wealth.

Sunak “enters office as a not particularly popular prime minister, but with a reputation for some semblance of economic competence. The problem will be that he is seen as someone who is not on the side of the people. He is seen as someone who is out of touch,” wrote Alan Wager, research associate at the UK in a Changing Europe think-tank.

Sunak, a well-known banker and former finance minister, became the youngest prime minister in modern UK history at the age of 42 after a dazzling rise in British politics. On him falls the weight of a Conservative Party in crisis, social unrest and an economy on the verge of recession.

The bets with which Sunak seeks to reassure the British

In his race to stabilize the government and improve the image of the Conservative Party, Sunak has made the first appointments of his ministers, with few women in the main portfolios and some allies in key positions.

One of the most important bets was awarded to Jeremy Hunt as head of Finance, who has experience in several ministries and was in charge of “dismantling” the controversial fiscal plan of the resigned Liz Truss, of whom he was also minister since last 14 of october.

Hunt has been a strong advocate of low taxation and appeared in his party’s primary two months ago with a program that sought cuts in corporate income tax.

On the other hand, Sunak appointed Dominic Raab as Deputy Prime Minister and Justice, after having been an ally during the primary elections held this year in the United Kingdom.

The Ministry of the Interior will be led by Suella Braverman from the right wing of the “Tories”, a politician of African origin who has been involved in several controversies for giving statements branded Europhobic and having anti-immigration positions.

As for Foreign Affairs, Sunak will keep James Cleverly in charge of this portfolio, following the appointment that Truss had already made. As for the Defense portfolio, Ben Wallace will be in charge, while Grant Shapps will assume the Ministry of Business.

Nadhim Zahawi, with experience during the terms of Johnson and Truss, in addition to being the Tories’ candidate for prime minister two months ago, will now become chairman of the Conservative party and minister without portfolio.

The world reacts to the appointment of the new British prime minister

After the official appointment was known, different leaders reacted to the new position assumed by Sunak. One of the most striking statements was that of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who praised his finance manager and described this day as a “historic day”.

“This is the time for every Conservative to give our new Prime Minister their full and sincere support,” he tweeted.

Similarly, the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, congratulated Sunak and said that the European Union “has a strong relationship with the United Kingdom”, despite the separation between the two parties with the Brexit.

“In these testing times for our continent, we count on a strong relationship with the UK in upholding our common values ​​and fully respecting our agreements,” said von der Leyen.

For his part, the president of the United States, Joe Biden, also congratulated the new prime minister and took the opportunity to praise the good relations that the two countries have had throughout history.

“Together, I look forward to enhancing our cooperation on issues critical to global security and prosperity, including continuing our strong support for Ukraine,” the White House chief said.

With EFE and AP