Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, apologized to the public on Friday after his Conservative Party suffered a heavy defeat to Labour in the general election. Sunak, who will step down as party leader, made his statement outside the Prime Minister’s residence at Downing Street.
“To the country, I would like to say first and foremost, I am sorry,” Sunak said before heading to Buckingham Palace to officially resign as prime minister to King Charles III. He acknowledged the public’s dissatisfaction, stating, “I have given this job my all, but you have sent a clear signal that the government of the United Kingdom must change. And yours is the only judgment that matters.”
Sunak, a former financier, called for the election six months early, hoping better economic data would sway voters back to the Conservatives. However, the results showed that Britons wanted to end the 14-year Conservative rule marked by economic struggles, Brexit turmoil, and internal party conflicts.
“I have heard your anger, your disappointment, and I take responsibility for this loss,” he added.
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The scale of the defeat meant that Sunak, the Conservative Party’s fifth leader since 2010, had to resign not only as prime minister but also as party leader. He will remain in his role until the party arranges an internal leadership contest. This contest is expected to spark a significant ideological debate within the party.
Many top Conservative ministers, including Defence Secretary Grant Shapps and House of Commons leader Penny Mordaunt, lost their seats. Liz Truss, Sunak’s immediate predecessor as prime minister, also lost her seat.
Sunak, who is Britain’s first prime minister of color and an observant Hindu, wished his successor Keir Starmer well, describing him as “a decent, public-spirited man who I respect.”
Reflecting on his journey, Sunak said, “One of the most remarkable things about Britain is just how unremarkable it is that two generations after my grandparents came here with little, I could become prime minister. And that I could watch my two young daughters light Diwali candles on the steps in Downing Street. We must hold true to that idea of who we are.”