King Charles III has appointed 42-year-old Rishi Sunak as prime minister. The United Kingdom has for the first time in its history a young Prime Minister, son of immigrants of Indian origin, richer than Her Majesty. ‘I’m here to right mistakes – first words in Downing Street – tough decisions lie ahead’.
Liz Truss therefore renewed, today, October 25, the term of Prime Minister, the shortest in the history of the United Kingdom after less than 50 days in power, in the hands of Charles III, at the head of the ‘State. Shortly after, the sovereign received the new Prime Minister at Buckingham Palace: Rishi Sunak, 42, appointed 24 hours earlier with his appointment as head of the majority Conservative Party, the Tories.
Photo Twitter @RoyalFamily
The ritual handover took place closely, with separate hearings of the outgoing and incoming Prime Minister. First British head of government of Indian origin and installed for the first time by Charles after the succession of Elizabeth II, Sunak takes office. From now on, he will compose his own team. The priority of his government is to deal with the repercussions of the economic and social crisis in Great Britain.
I will unite our country, not by words, but by deeds.
I will work day after day to deliver to you.
Watch my speech from Downing Street 👇 pic.twitter.com/diOBuwBqXc
— Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) October 25, 2022
“Correct the mistakes made”
“I am here to deal with a deep economic crisis” and “I want to immediately remedy the mistakes I have made”, declared the new British Prime Minister in his short inaugural speech at Downing Street. He congratulated Truss, a party comrade, for his commitment but did not hide the fact that before him there had been a failure of economic management. According to Sunak, Truss’ “intentions” to revive growth “were right”, and that “however there were mistakes”. But now, they must be corrected with “competence and professionalism”, to deserve “the confidence of the country”.
Rushi Sunak in Downing Street. Photo Ansa / Epa Tolga Akmen
Truss congratulates Sunak
In his farewell speech in Downing Street, Truss spoke of “the courage to dare” as an obligation for leaders in times of crisis. And he added that he believed in the UK as a “great country”, whose “brighter days are still ahead”. While he had spoken of the need to take advantage of the “freedoms” guaranteed by Brexit. As for Ukraine, he insisted that it must be “supported more than ever against the aggression of Putin’s Russia” in the context of a war in which kyiv “must win”. “I wish Rishi Sunak every success,” he said later, assuring him that he wanted to remain in parliament from now on as a private member and the closest representative of the voters in his constituency.
Photo Ansa / Epa Tolga Akmen
BoJo but also Giorgia Meloni
Former Prime Minister and Conservative leader Boris Johnson, Sunak’s political godfather, meanwhile is sealing a public reconciliation with his former Chancellor of the Exchequer, who took over at Downing Street. In a tweet he defines “a historic day” that of the rise to power of Sunak, the first head of government of the Kingdom of Indian origin. And he says he wants to support him “fully and with all his heart”. Finally, the new British Prime Minister received the best wishes from the Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, who received the vote of confidence from the Chamber of Deputies on the same day that Sunak received the post from King Charles III. “Congratulations to Rishi Sunak, appointed Prime Minister of the United Kingdom,” Meloni wrote in a tweet. “I look forward to working with him and his cabinet on common challenges, upholding our shared values of freedom and democracy.”
Congratulations to @RishiSunak, appointed Prime Minister of the UK. Eager to cooperate with him and his Cabinet on common challenges, upholding our shared values of freedom and democracy.
— Giorgia Meloni (@GiorgiaMeloni) October 25, 2022