UK’s new PM Sunak vows to fix Truss ‘mistakes’

LONDON — New British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Tuesday vowed to fix the errors made by his predecessor Liz Truss while warning of "difficult" decisions ahead.

Speaking on the steps of Downing Street after being appointed premier by King Charles III, Sunak spoke of Truss's "noble" aims but said some "mistakes" had been 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—your prime minister—in part to fix them, and that work begins immediately," he added.

Sunak said the UK is facing a "profound" economic crisis. "[T]he aftermath of COVID-19 still lingers, Putin's war in Ukraine has destabilized energy markets and supply chains the world over," he said.

Sunak, 42, became the ruling Conservatives' new leader on Monday after triumphing over rival contender Penny Mordaunt, who failed to secure enough nominations from Tory MPs.

It had become a two-way fight after Boris Johnson dramatically aborted a comeback attempt late Sunday, having failed to persuade Sunak to share power.

On Tuesday, Sunak succeeded Truss, whose tenure as leader lasted just seven weeks.

Truss left office as the shortest-serving premier in history, after a disastrous tax-slashing budget sparked economic and political turmoil.

The 47-year-old announced her resignation last Thursday, admitting she could not deliver her mandate from Conservative members—who had chosen her over Sunak in the summer to replace Johnson.

Sunak has now staged a stunning turnaround in political fortunes, and vowed to do the same for Britain as it confronts decades-high inflation, surging borrowing costs and imminent recession.

He also faces the uphill task of uniting a party riven with divisions and infighting. — Agence France-Presse