Rishi Sunak has warned that Britain faces a “national emergency” and has promised to put the Government on a crisis footing from day one if he becomes Prime Minister.
The former Chancellor intends to argue that Britain is facing a national emergency on five fronts including the economy, the National Health Service and migration, he said in an interview with The Times.
Liz Truss, Sunak's rival for the top job, held a 24-point lead over him in a YouGov poll of Conservative Party Members published on Thursday.
Inflation is the "number one challenge we face," Sunak told the newspaper, adding that under Truss' plans, interest rates in the country could rise significantly.
Sunak has said he plans to cut taxes but only once inflation - now running at almost 10% - is brought under control.
He accused his rivals of making "fairy tale" promises about tax cuts. Foreign Secretary Truss made other promises of tax cuts that will cost an estimated £30 billion a year.
Sunak also said that the Government was not working as effectively as it should at that maintaining the status quo was no longer enough.
He said that inflation was leaving families facing “enormous” costs and described the pressure on the NHS as unsustainable.
Sunak also expressed the view that the public believe the Government has lost control of Britain's borders.
“Having been inside government I think the system just isn’t working as well as it should,” he told The Times. “And the challenges I’m talking about, they’re not abstract, they’re not things that are coming long down the track.
“They’re challenges that are staring us in the face and a business-as-usual mentality isn’t going to cut it in dealing with them.
“So from day one of being in office I’m going to put us on a crisis footing.”
