RISHI Sunak will today sweep into No10 as Britain’s 57th Prime Minister and immediately start work appointing his top team.
As the third premier in just 50 days, he will waste no time grappling with the economic and political turmoil gripping the country.
Rishi Sunak will become Britain’s 57th PM today
Liz Truss makes her final farewell outside No10
A removal van is pictured outside No10
Keep up with today’s developments on our politics live blog.
King Charles will officially ask Mr Sunak to form a new government shortly after 11am when Liz Truss tenders her resignation.
In Ms Truss’ farewell address on Downing Street this morning, she wished her successor well with the mammoth task at hand.
Pointing to the cost of living crisis and war in Ukraine, she said: “We continue to battle through a storm – but I believe in Britain, I believe in the British people and I know that brighter days lie ahead.”
New Tory leader Mr Sunak will make his first speech to the nation as PM outside No10 at just after 11.30 before cracking on with the job.
On a pivotal day for Britain
- King Charles arrived back at Buckingham Palace to oversee the transition of power
- Ms Truss was defiant in her belief Britain “needs to be bold” and go for growth
- New PM Mr Sunak started drawing up his Cabinet appointments
- Boris Johnson had still failed to wish rival Mr Sunak well as PM
Mr Sunk will start assembling a Cabinet “of all the talents” this afternoon that is expected to draw on all wings of the Tory Party.
Close allies like Dominic Raab, Oliver Dowden and Robert Jenrick are tipped to a return to senior ministerial posts.
Ms Mordaunt is courting the job of Foreign Secretary – while Michael Gove could even make a return.
Jacob Rees-Mogg – who was highly critical of Mr Sunak – is expected to be sacked as Business Secretary, along with Chief Whip Wendy Morton.
‘Unite or die’
Yesterday Mr Sunak vowed to his MPs: “We must unite or die, and deliver for our country.”
The new PM warned it was time for the Tory Party to get real or get wiped out as “this is an existential moment”.
With Britain facing a crippling cost of living crisis, inflation soaring at 10.1 per cent and a £40bn black hole in public finances, he pledged to do whatever it takes to get a grip on the economy.
The former Chancellor said: “We’ve got an economic crisis and a political crisis; the public will hold us accountable for it — unless we fix it now and we can.”
He insisted: “We’ve got time before the next election, we’ve got the talent, the energy and the ideas but we get one shot and no second chances.”
Later, in his first address to the nation, Mr Sunak said it was the “greatest privilege of my life” to become PM and pledged to serve with “integrity and humility”.
He warned that the country faces “profound economic challenge” but said he was the man to deliver a brighter future for our children and grandchildren.
He received a hero’s welcome from supporting MPs who greeted him at Conservative HQ in Westminster for his victory speech.
Yet viewers were left baffled after Mr Sunak spoke for just 86 seconds before awkwardly shuffling off the stage.
At just 42 he will be the youngest PM for 200 years and the first British-Asian to hold the top job.
Mr Sunak will also be the UK’s first Hindu leader, with his victory coming on religious festival Diwali.
Second time lucky
The former Chancellor’s path to No10 was cleared yesterday after remaining rival Penny Mordaunt failed to get the 100 backers needed to take the latest leadership contest to the party members.
After a morning hammering the phones to court undecided MPs, she withdrew minutes before the 2pm deadline, declaring that “Rishi has my full support”.
In his first rallying cry as Tory leader Mr Sunak insisted they could beat Sir Keir Starmer but warned the party faced an “existential” crisis and must “unite or die”.
His attempt to draw a line under months of squabbling was welcomed by colleagues, with former leadership foe Liz Truss giving her blessing.
But there was a deafening silence from Boris Johnson who last night had still not congratulated his former Downing St neighbour.
The ex-PM abandoned a shock comeback bid late on Sunday night despite gathering enough supporters to launch a second tilt at the job.
Bob Blackman, the 1922 secretary, confirmed to HOAR that Mr Johnson had reached the 102 backers needed to mount a leadership attempt.
Insisting he could be a winner like BoJo, the new Tory leader said: “We’ve got time before the next election.
“We’ve got the talent, the energy and the ideas. But we get one shot. No second chances – this is an existential moment.”
Liz Truss resigns as her husband High and children Liberty and Frances watch on
