RISHI'S FAB FIVE
Rishi Sunak gambles his premiership on five promises to fix the storm of crises engulfing Britain
RISHI Sunak has staked his premiership on five promises to fix the storm of crises engulfing Britain.
The Prime Minister revealed he would stand or fall on delivering for the public telling them: “Judge me on my results”.
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It comes as he grapples with the NHS at breaking point and crippling rail strikes.
The PM promised “no tricks” and “no ambiguity” — pledging to halve inflation, grow the economy and reduce debt.
He vowed to stop the boats crossing the Channel and cut NHS waits.
During a 25-minute speech in East London, he said he would “deliver peace of mind” to the public and build a “better future for our children and grandchildren”.
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Mr Sunak gave a stark picture of the NHS, saying patients were not getting the care they deserve and warning: “Something has to change.”
His comments come as some ambulance crews in London are waiting only 45 minutes at hospitals before leaving stable patients on a trolley or chair and doctors claim delays in A&E have led to up to 500 unnecessary deaths a week.
Mr Sunak said: “Covid has imposed massive new pressures and people are waiting too long for the care they need. We’re fixing that, but we need to do more.”
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He is expected to promise an urgent care recovery plan.
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Mr Sunak insisted the NHS should use private hospitals if it meant patients got quicker and better care while non-emergency surgery should not be paused.
But nursing union chief Pat Cullen called him “detached from reality”. She said: “Every square inch of hospital space is being used to add more patients, including by closing existing services.”
Mr Sunak attempted to steal a march on Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer who will make his own new year speech today.
The PM outlined how inflation would halve this year from 10.7 per cent to ease the cost of living and give people financial security.
Despite warnings of recession until the middle of next year, he said he would grow the economy.
His blueprint would include creating better-paid jobs and opportunities right across the country, despite the Office for Budget Responsibility saying unemployment could rise by more than 500,000.
He also said the government would ensure national debt fell to secure the future of public services.
But he refused to set out a timescale on what he called the “people’s priorities”. He said: “We will pass new laws to stop small boats, making sure that if you come to this country illegally, you are detained and swiftly removed.”
He said the tax burden would be cut as soon as possible. The PM also pledged to crackdown on anti-social behaviour, calling it a “gateway to more extreme crime”.
But ex-Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries claimed he was washing three years of progressive Tory government down the drain.
Former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith said: “This is the right agenda, now we must deliver.”
Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner said: “The country is entitled to ask: Is that it?”
HALVE INFLATION
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PLEDGE: Halve inflation this year
SIZE OF THE CHALLENGE: Inflation is currently running at an 11 per cent high after Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and subsequent global shocks.
WHAT COULD GO WRONG? Independent forecasts already project inflation to halve next year. But more international uncertainty could slow the drop in prices, and Mr Sunak is not in full control of events.
BOOST GROWTH
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PLEDGE: Grow the economy by the end of the year
SIZE OF THE CHALLENGE: Britain is in a recession which most economists expect to last all year. The OECD warns the UK is one of the only major economies not predicted to grow.
WHAT COULD GO WRONG? A record tax burden, soaring interest rates and millions of people out of work — despite huge vacancies — could damage growth prospects.
CUT THE UK’S DEBT
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PLEDGE: Reduce Britain’s debt pile
SIZE OF THE CHALLENGE: Enormous spending over recent years has saddled Britain with £2.4trillion debts.
WHAT COULD GO WRONG? The OBR says debt will not be falling for five years. And, with the NHS and public services creaking and workers demanding higher pay, Jeremy Hunt could be forced again to reach for the nation’s credit card.
CUT NHS WAIT LISTS
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PLEDGE: Get waiting lists falling by spring next year
SIZE OF THE CHALLENGE: The post-Covid backlog stands at 7.1million waiting for treatment, which ministers concede will “get worse before it gets better”.
WHAT COULD GO WRONG? NHS services are already stretched to breaking point and the added pressure of strikes and a resurgence of Covid and flu, could yet worsen the crisis.
STOP SMALL BOATS
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PLEDGE: Pass new laws to stop small boats
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SIZE OF THE CHALLENGE: Some 45,000 arrivals took place last year and the crossings in 2023 are already under way. Ministers concede that, even if Albanians are stopped, there are an “infinite” number of migrants from other countries hoping to reach Britain.
WHAT COULD GO WRONG? Any new laws are likely to face an immediate legal challenge.
Reform to hit Tories
REFORM Party boss Richard Tice has vowed to field candidates in more than 600 seats, campaigning for low taxes and a hardline approach to immigration.
He claimed the party had more than 9,000 new members “since the moment Jeremy Hunt was appointed Chancellor”.
And he warned Rishi Sunak there will be no last-minute peace pact, unlike 2019 when the Brexit Party — Reform’s predecessor — stood aside in Tory seats.
Mr Tice said: “The Tories deserve to be smashed and destroyed given what they’ve done to the country.”
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