Rishi Sunak has formally declared his candidacy for Conservative (Tory) Party leader and, by extension, Prime Minister in a bland statement.
Having been explicitly rejected by ordinary party members in a head-to-head vote versus Liz Truss mere weeks ago, Sunak, who was the parliamentary elite’s favourite for leader, Sunak is once again throwing his hat into the ring.
“The United Kingdom is a great country but we face a profound economic crisis,” he began, adding that “[t]he choice our Party makes now will decide whether the next generation of British people will have more opportunities than the last” and that this is “why I am standing to be your new Prime Minister and Leader of the Conservative Party.”
“I want to fix our economy, unite our Party and deliver for our country,” he insisted, vaguely.
“I served as your Chancellor, helping to steer our economy through the toughest of times,” Sunak said in his pitch — perhaps unwisely, given that as Chancellor of the Exchequer he increased the country’s tax burden to its heaviest in 70 years.
“The challenges we face now are even greater. But the opportunities — if we make the right choice — are phenomenal,” he went on, providing no detail.
“I have the track record of delivery, a clear plan to fix the biggest problems we face and I will deliver on the promise of the 2019 manifesto,” he claimed.
“There will be integrity, professionalism and accountability at every level of the government I lead and I will work day in and day out to get the job done.
“I am asking you for the opportunity to help fix our problems. To lead our Party and country forward towards the next General Election, confident in our record, firm in our convictions and ready to lead again.”
Whether or not MPs will risk imposing Sunak as leader without allowing ordinary members to vote, despite his recent rejection in the Truss contest and the fact he is widely regarded as a Brutus figure in the downfall of Boris Johnson, who remains by far the most popular leadership candidate with the grassroots, remains to be seen.
He is not unpopular with everyone besides the parliamentary party establishment, however, having enjoyed the effective endorsement of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in his last run at the top job.
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