Rishi Sunak has this afternoon confirmed that he is running to be the next leader of the Conservative party. In a launch video published on social media, the former chancellor begins by telling the story of his grandmother coming to the UK from East Africa and starting a life here as he declares that ‘family is everything’ to him.
Sunak is associated with high taxes rather than tax cuts and will be arguing for patience
Sunak – who has also launched a leadership website under the name Ready for Rishi – has adopted the slogan: ‘restore trust, rebuild the economy and reunite the country’. In a taster of what to expect from Sunak’s campaign, he suggests that he will prioritise fiscal discipline over immediate tax cuts – unlike some candidates: ‘Do we tell ourselves comforting fairytales that might make us feel better in the moment but will leave our children worse off for tomorrow?’
So, why has Sunak decided to move now? It’s no great surprise that he is running – but many of the senior figures expected to enter the race were planning to wait until next week to declare.
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in