London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Nov 06, 2025

Rishi Sunak vows to fix Liz Truss's mistakes - but not his mistakes as a Chancellor - in first speech as PM

Rishi Sunak vows to fix Liz Truss's mistakes - but not his mistakes as a Chancellor - in first speech as PM

In his first speech as PM, Rishi Sunak vowed to restore trust and lead the UK through "a profound economic crisis" that he, as a Chancellor, created.

Rishi Sunak has pledged to fix "mistakes" made under Liz Truss's leadership and warned of "difficult decisions" ahead, in his first speech as prime minister.

He said he would restore trust, rebuild confidence and lead the UK through "a profound economic crisis".

Mr Sunak promised to deliver the manifesto that won the Conservatives a landslide election victory in 2019.

His speech outside No 10 came after he was appointed PM by King Charles.

The UK's first British Asian prime minister, Mr Sunak announced his cabinet this afternoon, after telling Tory MPs to unify or face electoral oblivion.

In major reshuffle, Dominic Raab returned as deputy PM, and Grant Shapps became business secretary, while Jeremy Hunt remained as chancellor.

A large majority of MPs backed Mr Sunak for the leadership and when his only remaining rival Penny Mordaunt withdrew, there was no need for a ballot of Tory members.

Following Mr Sunak's speech, opposition parties repeated their demand for an immediate general election and argued Mr Sunak had no mandate from the public.

Mr Sunak's effective coronation as Tory leader on Monday spelled the end of Ms Truss's turbulent premiership, just 49 days after she took office.

Ms Truss became prime minister after defeating Mr Sunak in a ballot of Tory members during the summer, winning over members with her tax-cutting economic agenda.

But her government was destabilised by political and economic turmoil, exacerbated by her mini-budget, whose package of unfunded tax cuts has mostly been ditched.

In her farewell speech, Ms Truss defended her economic policies and said her time as prime minister convinced her of the need to be "bold".

In his own speech, Mr Sunak paid tribute to his predecessors Boris Johnson and Ms Truss, saying she "was not wrong to want to improve growth in this country - it is a noble aim".

"But some mistake were made," Mr Sunak said. "Not born of ill will or bad intentions, quite the opposite, in fact. But mistakes nonetheless.

"I have been elected as leader of the party and as prime minister in part to fix them. And that work begins immediately."

Mr Sunak - who was chancellor until July this year - said he would place "economic componence and stability at the heart of this government's agenda", warning that "will mean difficult decisions to come".

He gave no details about what those decisions were, but how to fund support for energy bills, and bring down government debt, are likely to be among them.

Mr Sunak is expected to cut public spending to plug an estimated £40bn hole in the public finances.

On his first day in office Mr Sunak spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky "to underline the United Kingdom's steadfast support for Ukraine", a Downing Street spokesman said.

United States President Joe Biden said "that the UK remains America's closest ally" in another call, according to Downing Street.

The prime minister and President Biden also agreed to "preserve" the Good Friday peace deal, which set up power sharing in Northern Ireland.

It comes amid an ongoing row over the Northern Ireland Protocol - part of the post-Brexit deal between the UK and EU.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak vowed to "fix" errors made by his predecessor, Liz Truss


Mr Sunak also spoke to the first minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, and of Wales, Mark Drakeford.

Ms Sturgeon said that the call with Mr Sunak had been "constructive", and Downing Street said Mr Sunak had emphasised their "duty" to work closely together.

Mr Drakeford said the call had been a chance to "discuss the importance of working together as four nations" to address the "urgent challenges" faced by the UK.

The economic challenges ahead for Mr Sunak loomed large in his speech, which he delivered in a solemn tone, outside his new residence at Downing Street.

He appeared on his own without his wife, Akshata Murty, and two daughters beside him.

He reminded the public of his decisions when he was chancellor during the Covid-19 pandemic, including the furlough scheme to help employers pay their staff.

While "there are always limits", Mr Sunak said, "I promise you this: I will bring that same compassion to the challenges we face today."

Other than a brief, television statement on Monday evening, this was the first the public had heard from Mr Sunak since he was elected Tory leader.

The 42-year-old former hedge fund boss, who has only been an MP for seven years, enters office at a time when his party is cratering in the polls.

As the party searched for its third leader this year, Mr Sunak's former boss - Mr Johnson - insisted he was the only person who could unite the Conservatives and win the next election.

Mr Johnson, who only resigned as prime minister in September, ultimately withdrew from the Tory leadership contest, admitting it was not the "right time" for a comeback.

Mr Sunak reflected on Mr Johnson's "incredible achievements" in his speech, but downplayed his sole ownership of the party's 2019 election victory.

The prime minister said "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," he said. "I will deliver on its promise."

If Mr Sunak moves too far away from his party's 2019 manifesto - which promised to "level up" the country - calls for an early general election may grow louder.

The next one is not due to take place until January 2025, at the latest, and Mr Sunak is under no obligation to hold one earlier under the UK's parliamentary system.

But Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said Mr Sunak's refusal to call a general election showed his party "does not trust the British people", who "will be rightly furious that they have been denied a say".

Labour Party chairwoman Anneliese Dodds said the country needed "a fresh start" after "12 years of Conservative failure", which Mr Sunak had been part of.

In a meeting with his shadow cabinet this morning, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer warned his party against complacency, calling Mr Sunak a "ruthless" political operator.

Sir Keir said Mr Sunak "will not deliver for working people" and told his MPs to "ignore the noise", even if the new prime minister gives the Tories "a significant poll bounce".


WATCH: Sunak on Truss: "Some mistakes were made"


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Massive Spoilers Emerge from MAFS UK 2025: Couple Swaps, Dating App Leaks and Reunion Bombshells
Kurdish-led Crime Network Operates UK Mini-Marts to Exploit Migrants and Sell Illicit Goods
UK Income Tax Hike Could Trigger £1 Billion Cut to Scotland’s Budget, Warns Finance Secretary
Tommy Robinson Acquitted of Terror-related Charge After Phone PIN Dispute
Boris Johnson Condemns Western Support for Hamas at Jewish Community Conference
HII Welcomes UK’s Westley Group to Strengthen AUKUS Submarine Supply Chain
Tragedy in Serbia: Coach Mladen Žižović Collapses During Match and Dies at 44
Diplo Says He Dated Katy Perry — and Justin Trudeau
Dick Cheney, Former U.S. Vice President, Dies at 84
Trump Calls Title Removal of Andrew ‘Tragic Situation’ Amid Royal Fallout
UK Bonds Rally as Chancellor Reeves Briefs Markets Ahead of November Budget
UK Report Backs Generational Smoking Ban Ahead of Tobacco & Vapes Bill Review
UK’s Domino’s Pizza Group Reports Modest Like-for-Like Sales Growth in Q3
UK Supplies Additional Storm Shadow Missiles to Ukraine as Trump Alleges Russian Underground Nuclear Tests
High-Profile Broodmare Puca Sells for Five Million Dollars at Fasig-Tipton ‘Night of the Stars’
Wilt Chamberlain’s One-of-a-Kind ‘Searcher 1’ Supercar Heads to Auction
Erling Haaland’s Remarkable Run: 13 Premier League Goals in 10 Matches and Eyes on History
UK Labour Peer Warns of Emerging ‘Constituency for Hating Jews’ in Britain
UK Home Secretary Admits Loss of Border Control, Warns Public Trust at Risk
President Trump Expresses Sympathy for UK Royal Family After Title Stripping of Prince Andrew
Former Prince Andrew to Lose His Last Military Title as King Charles Moves to End His Public Role
King Charles Relocates Andrew to Sandringham Estate and Strips Titles Amid Epstein Fallout
Two Arrested After Mass Stabbing on UK Train Leaves Ten Hospitalised
Glamour UK Says ‘Stay Mad Jo x’ After Really Big Rowling Backlash
Former Prince Prince Andrew Faces Possible U.S. Congressional Appearance Over Jeffrey Epstein Inquiry
UK Faces £20 Billion Productivity Shortfall as Brexit’s Impact Deepens
UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves Eyes New Council-Tax Bands for High-Value Homes
UK Braces for Major Storm with Snow, Heavy Rain and Winds as High as 769 Miles Wide
U.S. Secures Key Southeast Asia Agreements to Reshape Rare Earth Supply Chains
US and China Agree One-Year Trade Truce After Trump-Xi Talks
BYD Profit Falls 33 % as Chinese EV Maker Doubles Down on Overseas Markets
US Philanthropists Shift Hundreds of Millions to UK to Evade Regulatory Uncertainty in Trump Era
Israeli Energy Minister Delays $35 Billion Gas Export Agreement with Egypt
King Charles Strips Prince Andrew of Titles and Royal Residence
Trump–Putin Budapest Summit Cancelled After Moscow Memo Raises Conditions for Ukraine Talks
Amazon Shares Soar 11% as Cloud Business Hits Fastest Growth Since 2022
Credit Markets Flooded with More Than $200 Billion of AI-Linked Debt Issuance
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent Says China Made 'a Real Mistake' by Threatening Rare-Earth Exports
Report Claims Nearly Two Billion Dollars in Foreign Charity Funds Flowed into U.S. Advocacy Groups
White House Refutes Reports That US Targeting Military Sites in Venezuela
Meta Seeks Dismissal of Strike 3’s $350 Million Copyright Lawsuit
Apple Exceeds Forecasts With $102.5 Billion Q3 Revenue Despite iPhone Miss
Israel's IDF Major General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi Admits to Act Amounting to Aiding Hamas During Wartime (Treason)
Shawbrook IPO Marks London’s Biggest UK Listing in Two Years
UK Government Split Over Backing Brazil’s $125 Billion Tropical Forest Fund Ahead of COP30
J.K. Rowling Condemns Glamour UK Feature of Nine Trans Women as 'Men Better at Being Women'
King Charles III Removes Prince Andrew’s Titles and Orders His Departure from Royal Lodge
UK Finance Minister Reeves Releases Email Correspondence to Clarify Rental-Licence Breach
UK and Vietnam Sign Landmark Migration Deal to Fast-Track Returns of Irregular Arrivals
UK Drug-Pricing Overhaul Essential for Life-Sciences Ambition, Says GSK Chief
×