Rishi Sunak makes five promises on economy, health and immigration in keynote speech
Rishi Sunak has pledged to boost the economy, cut hospital waiting lists and stop migrant crossings in the Channel in his first speech of 2023.
Speaking in Stratford, the prime minister laid out his priorities for 2023 and asked the public to judge his premiership on five promises.
These pledges are: to halve inflation; to grow the economy; to reduce debt; to cut hospital waiting lists; and to stop migrant crossings.
Sunak asked about ‘real world’ after setting out agenda – politics latest
Mr Sunak promised to work “night and day” to deliver on the five challenges during this parliament and to create “a future that restores optimism, hope and pride in Britain”.
Labour accused him of focusing on areas where progress is already predicted over the coming months, and “failing to tackle the big pressures” the country is facing in his “thin” speech.
Speaking to a room of journalists and business people, Mr Sunak said he wanted to make “five pledges to deliver peace of mind” and “five foundations on which to build a better future for our children and grandchildren”.
“First, we will halve inflation this year to ease the cost of living and give people financial security,” he said.
“Second, we will grow the economy, creating better-paid jobs and opportunity right across the country.
“Third, we will make sure our national debt is falling so that we can secure the future of public services.
“Fourth, NHS waiting lists will fall and people will get the care they need more quickly.
“Fifth, we will pass new laws to stop small boats, making sure that if you come to this country illegally, you are detained and swiftly removed.
“So, five promises – we will halve inflation, grow the economy, reduce debt, cut waiting lists, and stop the boats.
“Those are the people’s priorities. They are your government’s priorities. And we will either have achieved them or not.
“No tricks, no ambiguity, we’re either delivering for you or we’re not. We will rebuild trust in politics through action, or not at all. So, I ask you to judge us on the effort we put in and the results we achieve.”
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Sky’s political editor asks the prime minister: ‘How are you different to your predecessors?’
Mr Sunak continued: “People don’t want politicians who promise the earth and then fail to deliver. They want government to focus less on politics and more on the things they care about.
“The cost of living, too high. Waiting times in the NHS, too long. Illegal migration, far too much.
“I think people do accept that many of these challenges are, at least in part, the legacy of COVID and impacted by the war in Ukraine. But that’s not an excuse. We need to address these problems, not just talk about them.”
The prime minister acknowledged the vision he set out may not be delivered in its entirety this year, but concluded: “I will only promise what I can deliver, and I will deliver what I promise.”
Labour’s shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson said the issues facing the UK were as a result of Mr Sunak’s own party.
She told Sky News: “They’ve in charge now for 13 years, the Conservatives, and the problems that we see now are a direct result of what’s happened over those last 13 years.
“Whether it’s the fact that as a victim of crime, you often won’t at the justice that you deserve. The fact that so many people are waiting for hours on end in A&E departments and if you try and get through to a GP to get an appointment, often it’s not possible at all.
“That’s the record the Conservative Party over these last 13 years and the empty pledges that we heard from the prime minister I think just show how out of touch he really is with what’s going on out there in the country at the moment.”
Mr Sunak’s speech comes as the UK is facing a wave of strikes, a cost of living crisis and huge pressures on the NHS.
Earlier today, a leading medical organisation said the PM must recall parliament “immediately” so MPs can discuss the “NHS crisis”.
The PM said his government is “taking urgent action” to increase hospital bed capacity by 7,000, adding: “And the NHS is working urgently on future plans for A&E and ambulances.”
He acknowledged that, at present, “patients aren’t receiving the care they deserve” and said “something has to change”.
The PM told his audience that the “most acute” pressure in the NHS is on A&E.
On the continuing industrial action, Mr Sunak called for a “reasonable dialogue” with the unions and promised an update on the government’s next steps.
Responding to his speech, Pat Cullen, the head of the Royal College of Nursing, whose members walked out last month, said he “appeared detached from the reality of what is happening and why” in the NHS, claiming the speech “focused on false promise and hollow boasts when practical and urgent measures are required on the part of government”.
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Food inflation reaches record levels
Yesterday, the PM’s new mission to combat high rates of innumeracy in England was unveiled through a pledge to ensure all pupils in the country study some form of maths until the age of 18.
Addressing this ambition, Mr Sunak said: “Just imagine what greater numeracy will unlock for – people the skills to feel confident with your finances, to find the best mortgage deal.
“The ability to do your job better and get paid more and greater self-confidence to navigate a changing world.”
World
Body of missing rabbi Zvi Kogan found in UAE – as Israeli PM says he was murdered in ‘antisemitic terror incident’
The COP29 climate talks have reached a last ditch deal on cash for developing countries, pulling the summit back from the brink of collapse after a group of countries stormed out of a negotiating room earlier.
The slew of deals finally signed off in the small hours of Sunday morning in Azerbaijan includes one that proved hardest of all – one about money.
Eventually the more than 190 countries in Baku agreed a target for richer polluting countries such as the UK, EU and Japan to drum up $300bn a year by 2035 to help poorer nations both curb and adapt to climate change.
It is a far cry from the $1.3trn experts say is needed, and from the $500bn that vulnerable countries like Uganda had said they would be willing to accept.
But in the end they were forced to, knowing they could not afford to live without it, nor wait until next year to try again, when a Donald Trump presidency would make things even harder.
Bolivia’s lead negotiator Diego Pacheco called it an “insult”, while the Marshall Islands’ Tina Stege said it was “not nearly enough, but it’s a start”.
UN climate chief Simon Stiell said: “This new finance goal is an insurance policy for humanity, amid worsening climate impacts hitting every country.
“No country got everything they wanted, and we leave Baku with a mountain of work still to do. So this is no time for victory laps.”
The funding deal was clinched more than 24 hours into overtime, and against what felt like all the odds.
The talks were rocked from the start by the incoming presidency of climate denier Mr Trump, the moment Argentina’s team were recalled back to Buenos Aires by their right-wing president and a controversial letter that sent shockwaves through the United Nations.
Pic: AP
The fraught two weeks of negotiations pitted the anger of developing countries who are footing the bill for more dangerous weather that they did little to cause, against the tight public finances of rich countries.
A relieved Juan Carlos Monterrey Gomez, climate envoy for Panama, said there is “light at the end of the tunnel”.
Just hours ago, the talks almost fell apart as furious vulnerable nations stormed out of negotiations in frustration over that elusive funding goal.
They were also angry with oil and gas producing countries, who stood accused of trying to dilute aspects of the deal on cutting fossil fuels.
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Climate-vulnerable nations storm out of talks
The UN talks work on consensus, meaning everyone has to agree for a deal to fly.
A row over how to follow up on last year’s pledge to “transition away from fossil fuels” was left unresolved and punted into next year, following objections from Chile and Switzerland for being too weak.
A draft deal simply “reaffirmed” the commitment but did not dial up the pressure in the way the UK, EU, island states and many others here wanted.
Saudi Arabia fought the hardest against any step forward on cutting fossil fuels, the primary cause of climate change that is intensifying floods, drought and fires around the world.
Governments did manage to strike a deal on carbon markets at COP29, which has been 10 years in the making and will allow countries to trade emissions cuts.
‘Not everything we wanted’
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The UK’s energy secretary, Ed Miliband, said the deal is “not everything we or others wanted”, but described it as a “step forward”.
“It’s a deal that will drive forward the clean energy transition, which is essential for jobs and growth in Britain and for protecting us all against the worsening climate crisis,” he added.
“Today’s agreement sends the signal that the clean energy transition is unstoppable.
“It is the biggest economic opportunity of the 21st century and through our championing of it we can help crowd in private investment.”
Protesters at the summit in Baku. Pic: AP
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The Azerbaijan team leading COP29 said: “Every hour of the day, we have pulled people together. Every inch of the way, we have pushed for the highest common denominator.
“We have faced geopolitical headwinds and made every effort to be an honest broker for all sides.”
At least 20 people have been killed and 66 injured in Israeli strikes on central Beirut, Lebanese authorities have said.
Lebanon‘s health ministry said the death toll could rise as emergency workers dig through the rubble looking for survivors. DNA tests are being used to identify the victims, the ministry added.
The attack destroyed an eight-storey residential building and badly damaged several others around it in the Basta neighbourhood at 4am (2am UK time) on Saturday.
The central Basta neighbourhood in Beirut
The Israeli military did not warn residents to evacuate before the attack and has not commented on the casualties.
At least four bombs were dropped in the attack – the fourth targeting the city centre this week.
A separate drone strike in the southern port city of Tyre this morning killed two people and injured three, according to the state-run National News Agency.
The victims were Palestinian refugees from the nearby al Rashidieh camp who were out fishing, according to Mohammed Bikai, spokesperson for the Fatah Palestinian faction in the Tyre area.
Israel’s military warned residents today in parts of Beirut’s southern suburbs that they were near Hezbollah facilities, which the army would target in the near future. The warning, posted on X, told people to evacuate at least 500 metres away.
The army said that over the past day it had conducted intelligence-based strikes on Hezbollah targets in Dahiyeh, in Beirut’s southern suburbs, where Hezbollah has a strong presence. It said it hit several command centres and weapons storage facilities.
Pic: AP
Israel has killed several Hezbollah leaders in air strikes on the capital’s southern suburbs.
Heavy fighting between Israel and Hezbollah is ongoing in southern Lebanon, as Israeli forces push deeper into the country since launching a major offensive in September.
According to the Lebanese health ministry, at least 3,670 people have been killed in Israeli attacks there, with more than 15,400 wounded.
It has displaced about 1.2 million people – a quarter of Lebanon’s population – while Israel says about 90 soldiers and nearly 50 civilians have been killed in northern Israel.
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‘Dozens’ of Palestinians killed in Israeli airstrike
Meanwhile, six people, including three children and two women, were killed in the southern Gazan city of Khan Younis.
Some 44,176 Palestinians have been killed since the start of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, according to the Gaza health ministry.
The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count, but it has said that more than half of the fatalities are women and children.
The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on 7 October 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking another 250 hostage.
US envoy Amos Hochstein was in the region this week to try to end more than 13 months of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, ignited last October by the war in Gaza.
Mr Hochstein indicated progress had been made after meetings in Beirut on Tuesday and Wednesday, before going to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and defence minister Israel Katz.
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