Nick Robinson Burns Rishi Sunak Over The UK’s Mounting ‘Emergencies’

Nick Robinson interviews Rishi Sunak on BBC One. (Photo: BBC)

Nick Robinson interviews Rishi Sunak on BBC One. (Photo: BBC)

The BBC’s Nick Robinson has delivered a zinger to Rishi Sunak over the  “emergencies” battering the UK that the ex-chancellor says he wants to fix.

Robinson, the broadcaster’s former political editor, was interviewing the Tory leadership contender on issues ranging from soaring energy bills to the ailing health service, to regional disparities and declining standards in public life.

Sunak said the government has a “moral responsibility” to help families through the cost-of-living crisis as he promised billions of pounds in additional support.

As the interview wrapped up, Robinson said to Sunak: “In just half an hour, you and I have gone through a whole series of emergencies – there’s a whole lot more I’m sure you wanted to say more on.

“An emergency in the economy, an emergency over energy bills, an emergency in the NHS, an emergency with our borders, and our standards in public life.

“When you discover who’s been running the country for the past 12 years, you’re going to be really cross, aren’t you?”

The Conservatives under David Cameron came to power in 2010 as the largest party in a coalition with the Liberal Democrats. It won the general elections in 2015, 2017 and 2019, the last with the party’s biggest majority since the 1980s.

Sunak paused briefly before replying: “Well, no actually, there was lots that I was very proud of to have participated in in government.

“We talked about the pandemic response, protecting over ten million jobs, saving business, ensuring that our economy remained resilient through the worst shock it had faced in 300 years.

“I’m proud of what I achieved in government, I’m not going to run away from that and, actually, that’s why people should now look at me as the person who can be the person to lead us forward.

“I’ve got the experience to handle difficult things. They know that because they’ve seen it.

“My judgement is right about tackling inflation and tackling the cost of living, and they can trust me because, as they’ve seen in this leadership contest, I’ve been honest with them about the challenges. It doesn’t make my life easy but that’s how I am. That’s how I will be prime minister. I’ll be straight with people and that’s what leadership is about.”

Story continues

Rishi Sunak talking to a group of people during a visit to St John’s Wood Synagogue, north London. (Photo: Stefan Rousseau via PA Wire/PA Images)

Rishi Sunak talking to a group of people during a visit to St John’s Wood Synagogue, north London. (Photo: Stefan Rousseau via PA Wire/PA Images)

Leadership rival Liz Truss has not yet agreed to be interviewed by Robinson, who said at the end of the programme: “So far, she hasn’t been able to find a time or a date to do it. The invitation, of course, remains open. We’re told she’s still considering it.”

In the interview, Sunak, who has acknowledged he is trailing foreign secretary Truss in the race for No 10, insisted that he would rather lose than promise “false things I can’t deliver”.

Earlier, Truss – who had previously opposed further “handouts” – denied that she had ruled out additional direct help for families struggling with soaring energy bills.

She said that if she became prime minister on September 5, she would instruct the chancellor to look at the issue “in the round” and to come up with a solution.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost UK and has been updated.

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