'Trust is earned and I will earn yours': Rishi Sunak's first speech as PM in full

Rishi Sunak this morning delivered his first speech as prime minister from outside 10 Downing Street.

The new Conservative leader warned the nation is facing a “profound economic crisis” as he pledged to fix the “mistakes” of Liz Truss’s leadership, and braced the nation for “difficult decisions to come”.

He vowed to place “economic stability and confidence at the heart of this government’s agenda”, after the financial chaos triggered by Ms Truss.

“This will mean difficult decisions to come,” he said, but he promised to repeat the “compassion” he showed during the coronavirus pandemic.

How those struggling with the cost of living reacted to Rishi Sunak's promises at he was handed the keys to 10 Downing Street

Mr Sunak, 42, is the UK's first British-Asian PM and is the youngest keyholder to No 10 for more than 200 years. His speech was one of the longest delivered in Downing Street by a newly appointed prime minister in recent decades.

The new PM spoke for five minutes and 56 seconds – longer than the time taken by nearly all of his predecessors when they made similar remarks at the start of their premiership. The one exception is Boris Johnson, who spoke for 11 minutes and 13 seconds in Downing Street after being appointed prime minister in 2019.

Here is Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's speech in full:

“I’ve just been to Buckingham Palace and accepted His Majesty the King’s invitation to form a government in his name.

“It is only right to explain why I’m standing here as your new prime minister.

“Right now, our country is facing a profound economic crisis. The aftermath of Covid still lingers. Putin’s war in Ukraine has destabilised energy markets and supply chains the world over.

“I want to pay tribute to my predecessor, Liz Truss. She was not wrong to want to improve growth in this country – it is a noble aim.

“I admired her restlessness to create change – but some mistakes were made.

“Not born of ill-will or bad intention – quite the opposite in fact.

“But mistakes, nonetheless.

“And I have been elected as leader of my party and your prime minister, in part, to fix them. And 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.

“But you saw me during Covid doing everything I could to protect people and businesses with schemes like furlough.

“There are always limits, more so now than ever. But I promise you this, I will bring that same compassion to the challenges we face today.

“The government I lead will not leave the next generation, your children and grandchildren, with a debt to settle that we were too weak to pay ourselves.

“I will unite our country not with words, but with action.

“I will work day-in and day-out to deliver for you.

“This government will have integrity, professionalism, and accountability at every level. Trust is earned and I will earn yours.

“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. And the heart of that mandate is our manifesto.

“I will deliver on its promise. A stronger NHS, better schools, safer streets, control of our borders, protecting our environment, supporting our Armed Forces, levelling up and building an economy that embraces the opportunities of Brexit, where businesses invest, innovate, and create jobs.

“I understand how difficult this moment is. After the billions of pounds it cost us to combat Covid, after all the dislocation that caused in the midst of a terrible war that must be seen successfully to its conclusions, I fully appreciate how hard things are.

“And I understand to 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.

“So, I stand here before you ready to lead our country into the future, to put your needs above politics, to reach out and build a government that represents the very best traditions of my party.

“Together, we can achieve incredible things.

“We will create a future worthy of the sacrifices so many have made and fill tomorrow, and every day thereafter, with hope. Thank you.”

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