We must be honest with people that the way ahead is going to be difficult
Unusually for the day when a new prime minister assumes office, there was no celebration and no line of Downing Street staff to welcome him in.
Moreover, there was little time for reflection on an extraordinary milestone, both for the Conservative Party and the nation as a whole – our first ever British-Asian PM.
That is because we face some of the most difficult weeks and months ahead, certainly that I have seen during my time in frontline politics.
Britain is still suffering from the aftershocks of a global pandemic, where we had to do previously unthinkable things to protect lives and livelihoods.
We cannot pretend the unprecedented action we took didn’t happen and wish the costs that resulted from it away. We must now settle those bills, and deal with the NHS backlogs.
In addition, Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine has, of course, compounded the Covid shock, disrupting supply chains and energy security the world over.
We should not expect him to stop the illegal war he is so evidently losing. Instead, we must prepare ourselves for a protracted conflict and more pain from high energy prices.
We must be honest with people that the Covid-19 pandemic and the Ukraine war have conspired to create the perfect global economic storm, and it will require some expert stewardship to guide Britain through this turbulent period safely.
The past few weeks have been tumultuous for our party and for the country. The new prime minister has been clear that mistakes were made – and that this Government will fix them.
So, the most important starting point he had to demonstrate this week was a sense of surefootedness to restore confidence and stability.
During his first week in No10, significant progress has been made and the results have so far been encouraging.
Both in the markets, where Government borrowing costs have returned to the levels seen in the summer, and in the enthusiastic welcome from our international allies, who know that under his leadership Britain will be a key player on the global stage.
It’s a reassuring start. But, for the coming weeks, stability will be the watchword. For Government ministers, it will be our guiding star.
Whilst Labour are busy playing politics and their paymasters in militant trade unions are trying to cause more disruption, we must be the party providing careful leadership that makes people feel secure in their homes and jobs.
Once we have regained economic stability, we must also deliver on the promise of our last election manifesto if we are to retain the support of the British public.
Our pitch to the people of the United Kingdom in 2019 won us an 80-seat majority because it was focused on them, and the issues they care about most. Now, we need to demonstrate that we have put those words into action.
Safer streets for women and girls. A strong NHS, which is there for patients when they need it.
Secure borders that the public can place their confidence in. Protection for the environment.
Supporting our brave armed forces at home and overseas. Better schools for our children. Levelling up opportunity, so your future isn’t determined by where you were born.
Supporting job creators, investors and innovators; encouraging them to do more of what they do best.
There is not only a great deal to address, but we start out from an agonisingly difficult place and with time ticking to keep our promises.
Yet, having known him for many years, I can think of no one better suited for taking on this monumental challenge than the person who stepped into 10 Downing Street last Tuesday.
Rishi Sunak has the integrity, decency and capability to lead us in a way that the Conservative Party can unify around.
His values are core Conservative ideals – a belief in hard work and aspiration, and a commitment to family and community.
He will take the tough decisions and do whatever it takes to return our economy to a surer footing.
He will not leave the next generation, our children and grandchildren,
It’s going to be a challenge, but Rishi Sunak will take whatever tough decisions are needed
It will require some expert stewardship to guide Britain through this turbulent period safely
He has the integrity, decency and capability to lead us in a way that the Conservative Party can unify around
saddled with enormous debts because we were too cowardly to be frank about the state of the public finances.
He has been consistently honest about the scale of the challenge we face, and has shown tremendous foresight towards our economic problems.
His word, we can trust. He now deserves our loyalty and our support to steer the country through the difficult months ahead.
The challenges are immense, but with Rishi at the helm, we are in safe hands.