'Elder statesman at 44': Rishi Sunak nails first speech as UK Opposition Leader

Rishi Sunak used his first official speech as UK Opposition Leader in Parliament on Wednesday to offer some light-hearted advice to his successor, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, as he congratulated him for his “decisive” victory in the general election earlier this month.

The good-natured exchange in the House of Commons followed the King’s Speech, marking the State Opening of Parliament as King Charles III read out the new Labour Party government’s legislative agenda and priorities for the year ahead.

In the customary debate that follows the speech, Sunak spoke first as the interim leader of the Conservatives until his successor is elected by the Tory membership after the party’s electoral defeat.

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“Life comes at you fast. Soon, you might be fortunate enough to be tapped on the shoulder and offered a junior ministerial role,” said the British Indian leader, alluding to his appointment as a junior Treasury minister before being promoted to Chancellor under Boris Johnson’s premiership.

“Then, you’ll find yourself attending Cabinet, then in the Cabinet. And then when the prime minister’s position becomes untenable, you might end up being called to the highest office,” he said, referencing his meteoric rise through the Tory ranks to be appointed Britain’s first prime minister of Indian heritage in October 2022 in the wake of predecessors Johnson and Liz Truss being booted out of 10 Downing Street amid political turmoil.

Sunak then joked that “before you know it, you have a bright future behind you, and you are left wondering if you can credibly be an elder statesman at the age of 44”.

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He added: “It is right to begin by congratulating the Prime Minister on his decisive victory in the election. He deserves the goodwill of all of us in this House as he takes on the most demanding of jobs in the increasingly uncertain world in which we now live.

“The party opposite has successfully tapped into the public’s desire for change but they now must deliver change and we on this side of the House will hold them accountable for delivering on the commitments they made to the British people. In the national interest, we will not oppose for the sake of it, but when we disagree with the government, it is our responsibility as the opposition to say so.”

Starmer responded in a similarly gracious manner, thanking Sunak for his “generosity” since the general election on July 4 and also revealed that they discussed the England football team’s recent defeat in the UEFA Euro final in Germany.

“We are all responsible for the tone and standards that we set, and I want to thank the right honourable gentleman (Sunak) in every exchange that we had since the election, and in his words today, he has gone well beyond the usual standards of generosity, and I thank him for that,” said Starmer.

However, to set the tone for the new Labour government’s approach, the Prime Minister soon took aim at the Conservatives as he pledged “no more wedge issues, no more gimmicks, no more party political strategies masquerading as policy” under his watch.

“So let me say directly to the benches opposite, if you are invested in the success of your community, we will work with you. This is a new era. We are turning a page, returning politics to service, because that is what the people of this country want to see from their politicians, and service is a stronger bond than political self-interest,” he stated.

The day of the State Opening of Parliament is ear-marked for opening and introductory speeches as the Commons begins debating the proposals read out in the King’s Speech before a vote in the coming weeks.