Rishi Sunak has promised to turn the economy around, cut NHS waiting lists and stop migrant boats crossing the English Channel before the general election expected in 2024.
In a speech pledging five “people’s priorities” to tackled the biggest problems facing Britain, the prime minister said he would halve inflation in the next year, while making the public safer, richer and better cared for.
As a central point, he said “something has to change” in the health service and promised more choice for patients, while focusing on cutting waiting lists.
Mr Sunak also used the speech, the first major address of his premiership, to launch a major new policy: Making maths education compulsory for all up to age 18.
The prime minster, educated at Winchester College, said: “This is personal for me. Every opportunity I’ve had in life began with the education I was so fortunate to receive.”
Timeframe for targets would be irresponsible, says Sunak
Taking questions from reporters, the prime minister said he intentionally decided not to set out specific timeframes for all of his five pledges today.
His pledges were: “Halve inflation, grow the economy, reduce debt, cut waiting lists, and stop the boats.”
Responding to a question from the BBC, he said: “I’ve deliberately not put a specific month on each of them because I don’t think that’s responsible or the right thing to do with with goals that are so complicated, where many of the forces that will impact our ability to hit them are out of my control as well.
“We’ve seen that over the past year or two. But what I am being very clear about is what I am prioritizing, what I am keen to deliver for the country in terms that I think are easy to understand and unambiguous.
“I fully expect the country to hold me and the government to account for how much effort we’re putting in to working on those priorities, which are their priorities.”
Rishi Sunak says A&E is NHS’s pressure point
The prime minister said the “most acute” pressure in the NHS is on A&E.
Asked by the BBC at his press conference in east London how soon things will improve in the NHS this winter, Mr Sunak said: “As I acknowledged right at the beginning of the speech, I think that’s the thing that people are most worried about.”
He referenced his five priorities, and said “making sure that we reduce waiting times in the NHS was one of them”, adding “something I have been working on a lot since I was PM, and that’s why I want the country to hold me account for delivering it”.
He outlined “lots of things we are doing”, saying the “most acute pressure” this winter is in A&E, saying: “What I want the country to know is there are a range of things we’re doing that will make a difference.
“The biggest problem that we have is there are at the moment around 13,000 in hospital beds who should ideally be back in their communities or in social care. And that’s what’s making our hospitals full.”
He outlined funding for early discharge, virtual wards, and other measures, adding on waiting times: “We’ve already eliminated those waiting two years, and by next spring I think we will have eliminated those waiting a year.”
Sunak says ‘people’s priorities’ may be matter for next parliament
Rishi Sunak said he accepted the vision he set out may not be achieved in this parliament.
The prime minister said: “As well as peace of mind today, this afternoon I’ve also set out a vision for a better future for our children and grandchildren. Now we’re not going to get there overnight, or even in this parliament. But this is the journey we are on.
“And despite all the challenges we face, all the anxieties that people feel, I know we can get there. Others may talk about change, I will deliver it. I won’t offer you false hope or quick fixes, but meaningful lasting change.
“I want people to feel something that they do not always feel today – a belief that public services work for them, and knowledge that if you work hard in the good times, the state will be there for you during the bad.”
Sunak talks about family and love in pitch to support parents
Rishi Sunak spoke at length about family, calling it “something that politicians struggle to talk about”.
“We live in a world today where family can and does take many forms. But whatever your family looks like, it doesn’t matter. As long as the common bond is love. We shouldn’t be shy about it.
“We need to support parents to manage the demands of modern workplaces without weakening the irreplaceable bonds of family life. And we’re going to roll out family hubs to offer parents the support they need.”
Rishi Sunak: ‘We won’t stop elective surgeries to deal with NHS crisis’
The prime minister said the government would not stop people from having elective surgeries in order to deal with lengthy NHS waiting lists.
One of Mr Sunak’s five major pledges was to cut waiting lists, which have millions of patients waiting for treatment, but he said stopping elective surgeries was not an acceptable way to deal with the problem.
He also said he would aim to cut waiting times for elective surgeries.
Sunak pledges to ‘stop the boats’
Rishi Sunak today promised to “stop the boats”, saying the Tories would pass new laws to thwart Channel crossings and ensure “that if you come to this country illegally, you are detained and swiftly removed”.
Rishi Sunak ends with ‘no quick fixes’ dig
The prime minister appeared to end his speech with a dig at his predecessors by warning the public there will be “no quick fixes” for Britain’s ills and that he would be “honest” about the difficulties in changing the country.
Liz Truss, who lasted little more than one month in office before Mr Sunak took over, famously made a “mad dash” in her attempts to “grow the pie” that is Britain’s economy.
Boris Johnson, who preceded Liz Truss, was famously “boosterish” and light on details of policies.
Rishi Sunak’s five promises as he sets out priorities for next two years
Independent TV has clipped the prime minister’s five main pledges here:
Sunak promises NHS where patients are in control
Rishi Sunak has promised a revolution in the NHS to put patients in control of their care.
The prime minister said greater choice for patients was a priority as was ending the postcode lottery of care.
One of the five “people’s priorities” pitched by Mr Sunak in his speech today was cutting waiting lists in the NHS.
Anti-social behaviour not inevitable, says Sunak
Rishi Sunak railed against anti-social behaviour in his speech this afternoon, saying it is a social ill that is “not inevitable”.
He listed examples of drug addicts committing crimes alongside youths inhaling nitrous oxide in play areas.
“My aim is to build a better future for our children and grandchildren. A future where they feel optimism, hope and pride. And to realise that vision, we need to change our mindset,” he said.
