Rishi Sunak formally became Britain's new prime minister on Tuesday after meeting King Charles at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday, according to Reuters.
In a speech outside his Downing Street office after taking office, Rishi Sunak said he would try to fix the mess left by his predecessor, restore faith in politics and tackle a "profound economic crisis" but warned the country there would be difficult decisions.
Sunak paid tribute to Liz Truss, whose economic programme roiled the markets, and all but chided Boris Johnson by saying the mandate the Conservatives were handed at a 2019 election the former prime minister won was not the property of one individual.
"I want to pay tribute to my predecessor Liz Truss ... But some mistakes were made. Not born of ill will or bad intentions. Quite the opposite, in fact. But mistakes nonetheless," he said.
"And I have been elected as leader of my party and your prime minister, in part to fix them. And that work begins immediately. I will place economic stability and confidence at the heart of this government's agenda. This will mean difficult decisions to come."
Appealing to a public facing rising energy and food prices, Sunak, one of the wealthiest lawmakers in parliament, said he fully appreciated how hard things were for many.
"All I can say is that I am not daunted. I know the high office I have accepted and I hope to live up to its demands," he said.
"So I stand here before you ready to lead our country into the future. To put your needs above politics, to reach out and build a government that represents the very best traditions of my party. Together we can achieve incredible things."
