London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Sep 03, 2025

Rishi Sunak to review leadership campaign pledges

Rishi Sunak to review leadership campaign pledges

Rishi Sunak will review the pledges he made during his summer Tory leadership campaign, No 10 has said.

The prime minister will examine "whether now is the right time to bring them forward," his spokeswoman said.

Mr Sunak lost to Liz Truss in a ballot of Tory members - but was selected to replace her by Tory MPs when her premiership fell apart.

He announced dozens of policies during his summer campaign, including tax cuts.

But his spokeswoman said the economic "context" had changed since the promises were made.

"We need to take some time to make sure what is deliverable and what is possible," she added.

Unlike his summer campaign, Mr Sunak did not make any policy pledges during the four-day contest to replace Ms Truss as prime minister last month.

His earlier campaign promises included pledges to scrap the 5% VAT rate on household energy bills, and to lower the basic rate of income tax from 20% to 16% before the end of the next parliament.

Mr Sunak also promised to keep April's 1.25p in the pound rise to National Insurance - currently due to be reversed on Sunday in the wake of Ms Truss's mini-budget in September.

He also pledged to place an annual cap on the number of refugees the UK accepts, tighten asylum qualification criteria, and withhold aid from countries that won't take migrant returns.

At Prime Minister's Questions, Mr Sunak sought to reassure his backbenchers that migration was a "priority" for him, as he faced questions over the government's record on asylum claims.

Afterwards the PM's spokeswoman said Mr Sunak remained "committed to the sentiment" of his migration pledges, but confirmed they would form part of the review.

Other summer leadership pledges included:

*  eliminating one-year hospital waiting times by September 2024

*  preventing solar panels being installed on "our best farmland"

*  banning strikes in essential public services

*  blocking new smart motorways, where technology is used to regulate traffic flow

The prime minister has already abandoned his campaign pledge to fine patients in England £10 if they miss GP or hospital appointments.

He has also restored the ban on shale gas fracking in England that was lifted by Ms Truss. During the summer, he said he supported fracking where projects had local consent.

The policy review comes as Mr Sunak and Chancellor Jeremy Hunt consider tax increases and spending cuts ahead of a budget on 17 November.

Ahead of the statement, the Treasury has been warning that across-the-board tax increases will be required to ensure the government meets its medium-term targets on spending and debt.

Reports have suggested Mr Hunt could extend a freeze on income tax thresholds, as well as the windfall tax on oil and gas firms.

Ministers have also not ruled out real-terms cuts to pensions and benefits by raising them below the rate of inflation, a move that could save billions.

The government is considering delaying the introduction of a £86,000 lifetime cap on social care costs due to apply in England from October 2023, a government source told the BBC.

The plan includes a more generous means-test for people applying to their local council for financial support.

Groups representing local authorities have been calling for a delay to the introduction of the cap, with warnings of acute staffing and financial pressures on services.

Sir Andrew Dilnot, the architect of a previous cap that was abandoned in 2017, said it would be "astonishing" if the government did delay the cap.

He told BBC Radio 4's World at One it might save money in "the very short term" - but would make no difference to the public finances in the long term if it was eventually applied anyway.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Court of Appeal Allows Asylum Seekers to Remain at Essex Hotel Amid Local Tax Boycott Threats
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
China's Robotics Industry Fuels Export Surge
Suntory Chairman Resigns After Police Probe
Gold Price Hits New All-Time Record
Von der Leyen's Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Interference in an Incident Believed to Be Caused by Russia or by Pro-Peace or by Anti-Corruption European Activists
UK Fintechs Explore Buying US Banks
Greece Suspends 5% of Schools as Birth Rate Drops
Apollo to Launch $5 Billion Sports Investment Vehicle
Bolsonaro Trial Nears Close Amid US-Brazil Tension
European Banks Push for Lower Cross-Border Barriers
Poland's Offshore Wind Sector Attracts Investors
Nvidia Reveals: Two Mystery Customers Account for About 40% of Revenue
Woody Allen: "I Would Be Happy to Direct Trump Again in a Film"
Pickles are the latest craze among Generation Z in the United States.
Deadline Day Delivers Record £125m Isak Move and Donnarumma to City
Nestlé Removes CEO Laurent Freixe Following Undisclosed Relationship with Subordinate
Giuliani Seriously Injured in Accident – Trump to Award Him the Presidential Medal of Freedom
EU is getting aggressive: Four AfD Candidates Die Unexpectedly Ahead of North Rhine-Westphalia Local Elections
Lula and Putin Hold Strategic BRICS Discussions Ahead of Trump–Putin Summit
WhatsApp is rolling out a feature that looks a lot like Telegram.
Investigations Reveal Rise in ‘Sex-for-Rent’ Listings Across Canada Exploiting Vulnerable Tenants
Chinese and Indian Leaders Pursue Amity Amid Global Shifts
European Union Plans for Ukraine Deployment
ECB Warns Against Inflation Complacency
Concerns Over North Cyprus Casino Development
Shipping Companies Look Beyond Chinese Finance
Rural Exodus Fueling European Wildfires
China Hosts Major Security Meeting
Chinese Police Successfully Recover Family's Savings from Livestream Purchases
Germany Marks a Decade Since Migrant Wave with Divisions, Success Stories, and Political Shifts
Liverpool Defeat Arsenal 1–0 with Szoboszlai Free-Kick to Stay Top of Premier League
Prince Harry and King Charles to Meet in First Reunion After 20 Months
Chinese Stock Market Rally Fueled by Domestic Investors
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
Ukrainian Nationalist Politician Andriy Parubiy Assassinated in Lviv
Corporate America Cuts Middle Management as Bosses Take On Triple the Workload
Parents Sue OpenAI After Teen’s Death, Alleging ChatGPT Encouraged Suicide
Amazon Faces Lawsuit Over 'Buy' Label on Digital Streaming Content
×