Rishi Sunak concedes Liz Truss’ mistakes as he becomes UK PM, says 'will fix them'

In his first address to the UK as the new Prime Minister, Indian-origin Rishi Sunak backed his predecessor Liz Truss, who resigned after 45 days in office marked by turmoil.

While addressing the UK for the first time after being appointed as the Prime Minister, Sunak stated that he has been elected to "fix" the "mistakes" made by Liz Truss. He further stated that Truss was not wrong in wanting to improve the economy of the country, but she made mistakes.

Paying tribute to former Prime Minister Liz Truss, Sunak said, “I want to pay tribute to my predecessor Liz Truss. She wasn't wrong to want to improve growth in this country," added, “It was a noble aim and I admired her restlessness to create change but some mistakes were made, not born of bad intentions but mistakes nonetheless.” 

Noting that the UK is facing a profound economic crisis, Rishi Sunak said, “I have been elected as the Prime Minister to fix the mistakes made during Truss’ tenure. 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." 

Notably, Sunak is Britain's third Prime Minister this year, after Liz Truss left the office just 45 days into her term. The Indian-origin leader is the youngest to hold the UK's top post in 200 years and the first Hindu Prime Minister of Britain. 

Sunak’s warnings about Truss’ economic plans 

Rishi Sunak had earlier during the UK Conservative leadership race warned that the next UK Prime Minister faces the risk of markets losing confidence in Britain’s economy. In an interview, Sunak reportedly stated he “struggled to see” how Truss’s tax and spending commitments “add up”, warning it would be “complacent and irresponsible” for the next Prime Minister “not to be thinking about the risks to the public finances.”

Sunak further added that he feared that unfunded spending commitments would lead to spiralling debt, rising inflation, interest rates and borrowing costs. However, after Truss resignation announcement, the former Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak’s warnings were termed right.