BRITaiN REUNITED
Rishi Sunak says Truss ‘made mistakes’ but vows he will make tough decisions to get UK back on track after becoming PM
RISHI Sunak today vowed to fix the "mistakes" made by Liz Truss as he swept into No10 as Britain's 57th Prime Minister.
While bracing the nation for "difficult decisions" ahead, the youngest premier in 200 years defiantly declared: "I am not daunted."
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Keep up with today's developments on our politics live blog.
Mr Sunak promised to "put your needs above politics" in his first address to the country in Downing Street.
He said: "I will unite our country, not with words, but with action. I will work day in and day out to deliver for you."
Wasting no time in grappling with the economic crisis gripping the country, Mr Sunak said: "That work begins immediately"
"I will place economic stability and confidence at the heart of this government's agenda. This will mean difficult decisions to come."
King Charles formally asked Mr Sunak to form a new government shortly after 11am following Ms Truss' resignation.
In Ms Truss' farewell address on Downing Street this morning, she wished her successor well with the mammoth task at hand.
Pointing to the cost of living crisis and war in Ukraine, she said: "We continue to battle through a storm - but I believe in Britain, I believe in the British people and I know that brighter days lie ahead."
In a dramatic day of politics...
- Rishi Sunak set about appoint his new Cabinet
- Jacob Rees-Mogg, Kit Malthouse and Jake Berry all left government
- Liz Truss remained defiant over her short-lived time in the top job
- Boris Johnson congratulated Rishi and urged the Tories to support the new PM
- King Charles met with Rishi at Buckingham Palace today
- Read Rishi's first speech as PM in full here
READ MORE ON POLITICS
Mr Sunk will start assembling a Cabinet "of all the talents" this afternoon that is expected to draw on all wings of the Tory Party.
Close allies like Dominic Raab, Oliver Dowden and Robert Jenrick are tipped to a return to senior ministerial posts.
Ms Mordaunt is courting the job of Foreign Secretary - while Michael Gove could even make a return.
Jacob Rees-Mogg - who was highly critical of Mr Sunak - is expected to be sacked as Business Secretary, along with Chief Whip Wendy Morton.
'Unite or die'
Recognising the blazing cost of living crisis buffeting Brits, Mr Sunak said: "I fully appreciate how hard things are.
"And I understand too that I have work to do to restore trust after all that has happened.
"All I can say is that I am not daunted. I know the high office I have accepted and I hope to live up to its demands.
"But when the opportunity to serve comes along, you cannot question the moment, only your willingness."
Yesterday Mr Sunak vowed to his MPs: “We must unite or die, and deliver for our country."
The new PM warned it was time for the Tory Party to get real or get wiped out as “this is an existential moment”.
With Britain facing a crippling cost of living crisis, inflation soaring at 10.1 per cent and a £40bn black hole in public finances, he pledged to do whatever it takes to get a grip on the economy.
Most read in The Sun
The former Chancellor said: “We’ve got an economic crisis and a political crisis; the public will hold us accountable for it — unless we fix it now and we can.”
He insisted: “We’ve got time before the next election, we’ve got the talent, the energy and the ideas but we get one shot and no second chances.”
Later, in his first address to the nation, Mr Sunak said it was the “greatest privilege of my life” to become PM and pledged to serve with “integrity and humility”.
He warned that the country faces “profound economic challenge” but said he was the man to deliver a brighter future for our children and grandchildren.
He received a hero’s welcome from supporting MPs who greeted him at Conservative HQ in Westminster for his victory speech.
Yet viewers were left baffled after Mr Sunak spoke for just 86 seconds before awkwardly shuffling off the stage.
At just 42 he will be the youngest PM for 200 years and the first British-Asian to hold the top job.
Mr Sunak will also be the UK’s first Hindu leader, with his victory coming on religious festival Diwali.
Second time lucky
The former Chancellor's path to No10 was cleared yesterday after remaining rival Penny Mordaunt failed to get the 100 backers needed to take the latest leadership contest to the party members.
After a morning hammering the phones to court undecided MPs, she withdrew minutes before the 2pm deadline, declaring that “Rishi has my full support”.
In his first rallying cry as Tory leader Mr Sunak insisted they could beat Sir Keir Starmer but warned the party faced an “existential” crisis and must “unite or die”.
His attempt to draw a line under months of squabbling was welcomed by colleagues, with former leadership foe Liz Truss giving her blessing.
HOW RISHI SUNAK WIL TAKE OVER FROM LIZ TRUSS
HOW TODAY WILL UNFOLD
TUESDAY 9am: Liz Truss chairs her final Cabinet meeting and says goodbye to her top team in No10.
10.15am: Outgoing PM's favoured podium will then be wheeled out as she says farewell to the nation and sums up her short time in office with a Downing Street speech.
10.30am: Ms Truss visits the King to formally resign, followed by Rishi Sunak, who will invite him to form a new Government.
11am: Rishi Sunak will give his first speech to the nation outside the famous No10 door.
AFTERNOON: New PM and his top team will appoint his new Cabinet and start running the country.
WEDNESDAY: Rishi to go up against Sir Keir Starmer in first PMQs clash.
FRIDAY: Crunch Northern Ireland election to be declared unless new laws override it.
31 OCTOBER: New PM will decide whether to go ahead with the fiscal statement and Office for Budget Responsibility's spreadsheets, or rip it up and start again.
3 NOVEMBER: Bank of England expected to raise interest rates yet again in more mortgage hell for millions of households.
3 NOVEMBER: RMT holds fresh round of train strikes causing chaos to commuters.
But there was a deafening silence from Boris Johnson who last night had still not congratulated his former Downing St neighbour.
The ex-PM abandoned a shock comeback bid late on Sunday night despite gathering enough supporters to launch a second tilt at the job.
Bob Blackman, the 1922 secretary, confirmed to The Sun that Mr Johnson had reached the 102 backers needed to mount a leadership attempt.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Insisting he could be a winner like BoJo, the new Tory leader said: “We've got time before the next election.
“We've got the talent, the energy and the ideas. But we get one shot. No second chances - this is an existential moment.”
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