Britain's new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Tuesday said he will always be grateful to Boris Johnson for his "incredible achievements" as premier, but emphasised that the mandate earned by the governing Conservative Party in 2019 is not the "sole property" of any one individual. Sunak, the first Indian-origin British Prime Minister, said this two days after Johnson announced that he will not be contesting the leadership race.
A runoff between the two could have proved divisive for the Conservative Party because many of Johnson's supporters blame Sunak's resignation in July for sparking the downfall of his government. Sunak was elected unopposed as the new leader of the Conservative Party on Monday after Penny Mordaunt withdrew from the race.
Johnson - who resigned in July in the wake of the 'partygate' scandal of COVID-19 lockdown law-breaking parties - said he had "cleared the very high hurdle of 102 nominations", but came to the conclusion that "this is simply not the right time". "I am afraid the best thing is that I do not allow my nomination to go forward and commit my support to whoever succeeds," Johnson, 58, said on Sunday.
Johnson had repeatedly harped on the electoral victories achieved by the party in the past as a reflection of his able leadership. In his maiden address as prime minister, Sunak said, "I will always be grateful to Boris Johnson for his incredible achievements as Prime Minister, and I treasure his warmth and generosity of spirit."
"And I know he would agree that the mandate my party earned in 2019 is not the sole property of any one individual, it is a mandate that belongs to and unites all of us," he said, adding that the "heart of that mandate is our manifesto." "I will deliver on its promise," Sunak said, vowing that his government will have integrity, professionalism and accountability at every level.
"Trust is earned and I will earn yours," the 42-year-old prime minister said. Sunak also said that that during his time as chancellor he did everything he could "to protect people and businesses" through schemes such as furlough.
"I will bring the same compasssion to the challenges we face today," he said, adding that he will not leave the next generation with a "debt to settle that we were too weak to pay ourselves". "I will unite our country not with words but with action," he said, and promised to work day in and day out to deliver for the British people as they faced a "profound economic crisis."
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
