Rishi Sunak to promise âbold ideasâ in pre-election pitch
-
Published
![Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaks to the press during](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/976/cpsprodpb/000A/production/_133301000_a1.jpg)
Rishi Sunak will say the UK âstands at a crossroadsâ ahead of âsome of the most dangerous yearsâ, in a pre-election pitch to voters on Monday.
In a speech, the prime minister will argue his âbold ideasâ can âcreate a more secure futureâ for Britons.
It will be his biggest intervention since the Conservativesâ bleak showing in the local elections.
Labour said the Tories cannot fix the UKâs problems as âthey are the problemâ.
National polling puts Labour as much as 20 points ahead of the Conservatives in general election voting intentions.
The Tories also lost 470 councillors in the local elections, as well as the key mayoral race in the West Midlands.
Mr Sunak is set to argue in a speech in London that voters face a stark choice in who will lead the country through âsome of the most dangerous yet most transformationalâ years ever.
The prime minister is seeking to portray himself as the best person to deal with the challenges after the general election â expected before the end of the year.
He will say he has âbold ideasâ that can âcreate a more secure futureâ for Britons and restore their âconfidence and pride in our countryâ.
âI feel a profound sense of urgency because more will change in the next five years than in the last 30,â he said.
Mr Sunak will vow to safeguard the UK against threats of war, a global rise in immigration and âthose seeking to undermine our shared values and identitiesâ.
And he will pledge to capitalise on opportunities presented by technologies such as artificial intelligence.
He will say: âOver the next few years, from our democracy to our economy to our society â to the hardest questions of war and peace â almost every aspect of our lives is going to change.
âHow we act in the face of these changes â not only to keep people safe and secure but to realise the opportunities too â will determine whether or not Britain will succeed in the years to come.
âAnd this is the choice facing the country.â
Labourâs national campaign coordinator Pat McFadden said: âNothing the prime minister says will change the fact that over the past 14 years the Conservatives have brought costly chaos to the country.â
He added: âThe only way to stop the chaos, turn the page and start to renew is with a change of government.â
Downing Street has argued Mr Sunak has a track record of delivering bold solutions, from furlough during the pandemic to the Rwanda scheme â which was first launched by Boris Johnsonâs administration.
The prime minister has sought to convince voters that Britainâs economic prospects are improving in a bid to reverse the Toriesâ electoral fortunes.
Whether todayâs rallying call is enough to convince despondent Conservative MPs â or voters â is another matter.
Foreign Secretary Lord David Cameron on Sunday argued it would be âabsolutely rightâ for the general election to be held in the second half of the year to give voters time to see âthe economic plan is workingâ.
Official figures last week showed the economy grew by 0.6% over the first quarter, ending a technical recession recorded in the final half of last year.
But Mr Sunak has faced repeated setbacks â including the recent local election results. His woes deepened with the defection of Natalie Elphicke in protest against his record on housing and stopping small boat Channel crossings â the second MP to desert the Tories for Labour in as many weeks.
Related Topics
-
-
Published6 days ago
-