Former British chancellor Rishi Sunak has invoked the legacy of one of the Conservative Party’s successful leaders and British Prime Ministers, Margaret Thatcher, as a way to connect with the traditional Tory electorate.
The 42-year-old British Indian ex-minister said he is the candidate to unleash the kind of Thatcherite post-war reforms needed to tackle the economic crisis and soaring inflation in the wake of the pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
“My values are Thatcherite. I believe in hard work, family and integrity. I am a Thatcherite, I am running as a Thatcherite and I will govern as a Thatcherite,” he writes in ‘The Daily Telegraph’.
“I believe in national sovereignty. Strong borders – tight control of both legal and illegal immigration. The primacy of economic growth. That this can only be achieved on a foundation of low inflation and sound public finances. And the best way to achieve economic growth is cutting taxes and bureaucracy, and boosting private sector investment and innovation. I believe that crime is an evil that we tolerate far too high levels of,” he said.
The finalist in the race to replace Boris Johnson as Tory leader, who is facing off with Foreign Secretary Liz Truss in the final leg of the contest to win over Conservative Party members, said he knows how to get results in government and deliver.
“And if I were privileged enough to become Prime Minister, I would deliver a set of reforms as radical as the ones Margaret Thatcher drove through in the 1980s to unleash growth and prosperity to all corners of the United Kingdom. And as well as being the best candidate to deliver a 21st century set of Thatcherite reforms, all the evidence shows I am the best candidate to win the next election,” he said.
He added that just like in 1940 and 1979, the UK needs the Conservative Party “now more than ever”.
“I will deliver the radical set of Thatcherite reforms that will unleash growth and strengthen our society and culture. I am the candidate who will deliver these reforms. And I am the candidate who will safeguard them and protect our country from Labour by winning the next election,” he concluded.
