Sunak’s address to the nation: what it means

Rishi Sunak began his premiership with a six-minute address to the nation on the steps of Downing Street.

These are the key passages and what they meant.

“It is only right to explain why I am standing here as your new Prime Minister.”

As he becomes the third premier in just seven weeks, Mr Sunak recognises that voters, bewildered by the speed of change in a process from which they have been almost entirely excluded, are entitled to an explanation as to what has been happening.

“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.”

After the turmoil of the past weeks, Mr Sunak moves swiftly – indeed brutally – to disown Liz Truss’s calamitous agenda of unfunded tax cuts, making clear that it is his job to clear up the chaos she left behind her.

“I will place economic stability and confidence at the heart of this Government’s agenda. This will mean difficult decisions to come.”

The Prime Minister places the country on notice to expect painful decisions – with tax rises and spending cuts almost certainly on the way as he looks to fill an estimated £40 billion black hole in the public finances – while at the same time reassuring financial markets he will balance the books.

“The Government I lead will not leave the next generation of your children and grandchildren with a debt to settle that we were too weak to pay ourselves.”

Mr Sunak underlines the tough economic message, arguing that it would be unfair simply to saddle future generations with the costs of dealing with the war in Ukraine and the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“This Government will have integrity, professionalism and accountability at every level. Trust is earned. And I will earn yours.”

Words aimed at addressing the chaos and scandals of the Boris Johnson years and what followed under Ms Truss. To voters weary of the endless political drama, he promises calm, competent leadership  and good government.

“I know he 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.”

Mr Sunak addresses directly the claims of the former prime minister’s supporters that, after his general election victory in 2019, Mr Johnson alone has a mandate from the voters to govern. That mandate, Mr Sunak says, belongs to all those in the party who stood on the Conservative manifesto.

“The heart of that mandate is our manifesto. I will deliver on its promise.”

Despite the enormous economic difficulties, Mr Sunak insists he stands by Mr Johnson’s agenda including strengthening the NHS, controlling immigration, protecting the environment, supporting the armed forces and “levelling up”.

“I fully appreciate how hard things are. And I understand too that I have 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. So I stand here before you ready to lead our country into the future.”

In his closing peroration, Mr Sunak presents himself to the country as a man who understands the scale of the challenge he faces but is ready to take on his destiny. The question now is can he deliver?