British Chancellor Rishi Sunak has issued a rallying cry for the Conservative Party to “be bold” and build a legacy that is “sustainable and lasting”, even as the government executives looks to life after his term as finance minister expires in 2024.
Sunak has been widely lauded by the business world for his thoughtful fiscal measures, including business tax cuts, flexible working schemes, and emergency coronavirus-relief funding. His popularity has led some to speculate whether he may be the next Tory leader, but Sunak has suggested that he may not have the same staying power.
In an eagerly anticipated speech made in the House of Commons on Thursday, Sunak declared that Britain must not only face the coronavirus and Brexit, but must look to the future. “The most urgent challenge of our times, he said, “is not just to tackle a crisis but to build something more — a resilient society, a society that cannot be stopped by any spike or wave of a virus, a thriving, balanced economy that can confront the future with confidence and ambition, and an optimistic, outward-looking nation that shapes the past and takes those lessons into the future.”
Sunak’s focus on the future drew criticism from those concerned that his term is nearing its end. Conservative pollster Robert Hayward has argued that Sunak’s speech was more about prolonging his tenure than reshaping the party. But others view his comments as a positive sign that the Tories’ long-term vision for a post-Brexit UK is taking shape.
Regardless of Sunak’s motivation, he urged Britain to “be bold” and called for a party that will build “something more than a reputation for solving immediate problems”. For many, Sunak’s words provide a glimmer of hope that the Tories will eventually develop a lasting vision for a successful Britain.
