A brighter future only the Tories can deliver

WITH a powerful article in today’s Daily Mail, Rishi Sunak effectively fires the starting pistol for the election campaign.

And how markedly different is his uplifting message compared to Sir Keir Starmer’s preposterously doleful New Year address.

The Prime Minister rightly acknowledges that the country has suffered badly, as a result of Covid, the cost of living and the fallout from Russia’s war on Ukraine.

But having toiled to return the nation’s finances to an even keel, he says: ‘The plan is working and we are pointing in the right direction. The future is going to be better.’

He knows his overriding goal is to win back Tory voters. Which is why we applaud his pledge for more economy-boosting, familyfriendly tax cuts – only possible because the fight against inflation is being won.

As he prepares to make his big pitch to Red Wall voters today, Mr Sunak is also promising a ‘fairness’ agenda – including reforming the welfare system to reward hard work. Good. That is going back to bread-and-butter Conservatism.

It strikes a chord, too, because Labour represents everything that is unfair.

London mayor Sadiq Khan stubbornly refused to trigger anti-strike laws to reduce the pain of now-cancelled Tube walkouts.

Sir Keir won’t condemn the junior doctors, whose contemptible industrial action is causing misery and costing lives. And he won’t be honest about how taxpayers would fund his £28billion-a-year green splurge.

In truth, there is little relish among voters for this serial flip-flopper, whose poll lead is based purely on disaffection with the Tories – not any inspiring political vision he has.

By starting 2024 with a bang, Mr Sunak can show the electorate that his party are on the right track and worth another chance.