Rishi Sunak has doubled down on his bid to be a great reformer in British politics as he vowed there is “more to do” after a series of landmark reforms.
Speaking to the Standard on the first anniversary of his premiership on Wednesday, Mr Sunak said he would “keep taking the long-term action needed so we can change our country for the better”.
He sparked controversy earlier this month by scrapping the Birmingham to Manchester leg of the HS2 rail link, to reinvest tens of billions into smaller transport projects, after its cost ballooned.
He also announced A-levels would be replaced with an Advanced British Standard, an incremental ban on smoking would be introduced, and scaled back climate change action — including delaying a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by five years to 2035 and the switch to heat pumps, which he argued were necessary to keep the British public committed to net zero by not overburdening them financially.
The radical moves were part of a strategy to present Mr Sunak as a changemaker prepared to take difficult decisions for the long-term good of Britain. Polls, and more strikingly recent by-elections in Mid-Bedfordshire and Tamworth, suggest he has yet to convince the British public that he can be this candidate of change at the next general election, when the Tories will have been in power for 14 years.
But the Prime Minister was sticking to his guns about the need to move away from short-term political policies to bolder reforms. “These were huge decisions to change the direction of our country,” he said.
“But there’s more to do, and it’s the Conservative Party who are putting the needs of the British people first, and who are putting the people of London first. Under my leadership, this Government will keep taking the long-term action needed so we can change our country for the better and ensure a brighter future for every hardworking family.”
Mr Sunak took over in No10 after his predecessor Liz Truss and her chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng had unleashed mayhem on the economy with the “mini-Budget” during her 49 days in office.
Mr Sunak recalled: “One year ago when I became Prime Minister, my immediate focus was to deliver the urgent relief people needed and provide their families with peace of mind.
"That’s why we supported people with the cost of living, paying half their energy bills and putting in place our plan to halve inflation. We also focused on stabilising the economy, and now have near record numbers of people with the security a job provides, and the lowest corporation tax rate in the G7.”
The PM succeeded in starting to rebuild relations with the EU, after years of Brexit clashes, with the Windsor Framework to defuse the row over Northern Ireland’s trading ties. He has also displayed statesmanship with Britain’s strong stance against Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine and its response to the growing crisis in the Middle East.
Domestically, he has made five key pledges, promising to halve inflation, grow the economy, reduce debt, cut NHS waiting times and stop “small boat” Channel crossings.
Reflecting on his 12 months in office, he said: “Across this time, I’ve also learned a lot about our country and the path we were on. For the last 30 years, there has been too much short-term political decision-making, taking the easy way out rather than fixing the underlying problems."
He blamed Labour as the “personification of this approach” but his stance has also angered some senior Tories in former administrations.
Polls suggest Labour’s 15 to 20 point lead is more down to disillusionment with the Government rather than a surge in support for Labour.
The Prime Minister argued that Sir Keir Starmer was “betting on people’s apathy” to try to win the next election, seen as most likely next autumn, and would “keep doing politics the same old way”.
Mr Sunak’s inflation target may be met, if it falls to around 5.3 per cent by the end of the year, but it could take longer for many households to feel they are getting better off. Strikes by consultants and junior doctors are hampering efforts to cut waiting lists, currently above 7.7 million.
The number of “small boats” crossing the Channel has fallen, but more than 26,500 migrants have made the journey so far this year.
A number of Tory MPs are demanding tax cuts now, a call so far rejected by Mr Sunak and Chancellor Jeremy Hunt amid fears this could stoke inflation and put more strain on public finances as the Conservatives seek to persuade the nation to stick with them rather than risk a Labour government.
