Rishi Sunak in a speech claimed himself to be the underdog in the Conservative leadership race, claiming the “forces that be” want Liz Truss to be the next prime minister. Sunak declared “have no doubt, I am the underdog” and suggested that Conservative party powers want the race to be “a coronation” for Truss.

“The forces thwe want this to be a coronation for the other candidate. But I think members want a choice and they are prepared to listen,” he said during a speech, surrounded by supporters carrying signs with his campaign slogan “Ready for Rishi”.

Truss has promised to review all the EU laws if she becomes the PM. The former chancellor refused to elaborate on who the opposing figures were, but reiterated that he was not the favourite. “I was talking generically, but obviously I start this part of the contest in the underdog position,” he told reporters afterwards.

He said the NHS would be “safe in my hands” and warned it faced its biggest crisis in decades amid a “backlog emergency”. He has promised to set up a “vaccines-style” task force to tackle the backlog. He said his other priorities would include keeping Brexit and the union “safe”, tackling illegal immigration and crime and ensuring that regardless of their parents or background, a child’s “birthright should be a world-class education”.

“If we are to deliver on the promise of Brexit, then we’re going to need someone who actually understands Brexit, believes in Brexit, voted for Brexit,” he said to cheers. Describing himself as “a product of immigration”, he said Britain “mustn’t lose compassion but must be tougher”.

On the cost of living crisis, he said he would “grip inflation and bring it down”, describing rising inflation as “the enemy that makes everyone poorer”.He said the country must be told “the truth about tax” – claiming he would cut tax but not until settling the rising inflation.


Source : The Guardian