Former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, in an interview with ‘Political Thinking with Nick Robinson’, reflected on his time in office, acknowledging regrets and lessons learned. One of his biggest admissions was his regret over the slogan "Stop the Boats," calling it "too stark, too binary," and conceding that it was ultimately undeliverable.
In a conversation spanning more than two hours, Sunak discussed not only the mistakes he believes he made but also his economic disagreements with Boris Johnson, the radical policies he wished he could have implemented, and the lessons he learned as chancellor during the Covid pandemic. He also spoke about his views on race, faith, and identity as Britain’s first Asian prime minister.
Reflecting on his sudden rise to power, Sunak admitted he "didn't have the time to enjoy or appreciate it in the moment" due to the political chaos that led to his appointment. He inherited leadership after Liz Truss’s brief tenure, stepping in to stabilize a fractured party and a struggling economy. He defended his decision to unite warring Conservative factions, arguing that "to do otherwise would have been a huge gamble" that could have led to a government collapse.
On immigration, Sunak reaffirmed his support for deporting migrants to Rwanda and advocated leaving the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) if reforms were not made, arguing that the court had "taken on new powers" and needed to be reined in. He also admitted he should have acted sooner on reducing legal migration.
Sunak described himself as an "accidental prime minister," recalling how he learned of Liz Truss's resignation while dining with his daughters at TGI Fridays after a bowling game. Four days later, he found himself walking into Number 10.
His proudest achievement, he said, was stabilising the economy after the market turmoil caused by Truss’s "fantasy economics." He detailed his economic clashes with Boris Johnson, emphasizing his preference for a "small state" conservatism, careful public spending, and lower borrowing to enable tax cuts—an approach Johnson did not share. He was particularly concerned about rising inflation and interest rates, warning that unchecked borrowing would put further strain on public finances.
On social care, Sunak maintained that any expansion of support should be funded through higher taxes, but he personally opposed tax increases for a more generous system. He also advocated a more radical restructuring of the state to cut welfare spending and boost defence funding. He now believes the UK should abandon its legal commitment to net zero, arguing that the policy burdens the economy.
During the Covid pandemic, both Sunak and Johnson were fined for breaking lockdown rules. Sunak admitted he considered resigning over the scandal but decided against it, still incredulous that he was penalised for arriving early to a work meeting where a birthday cake appeared. More broadly, he criticised how the government handled lockdown messaging, arguing that the public should have been treated "more like grown-ups" and informed of the long-term consequences, particularly the impact on children’s education.
As Britain’s first Asian prime minister, Sunak spoke movingly about his grandfather’s pride in his achievement, recalling how the elderly man tearfully called a friend in India upon Sunak’s first visit to Westminster. However, he also expressed frustration over questions about his Englishness, responding to a popular podcaster's claim that "he's a brown Hindu; how is he English?" by asserting, "Of course I'm English—born here, brought up here."
Despite speculation that he called an early election to move to California, Sunak dismissed such claims, stating that the UK is his home. He has since launched ‘The Richmond Project’, a charitable initiative named after his Yorkshire constituency. The project evolved from Lessons at 10, an educational program started by his wife, Akshata Murthy, which invites schoolchildren to Downing Street for learning experiences. While both Sunak and Murthy champion education, he humorously admitted their own children dislike maths, saying, "Akshata is good at it, and through storytelling, she can teach them better than me."
Looking back on his time in office, Sunak described being prime minister as "a lonely job" where "it is 100% only on you." Now, as he steps away from the political spotlight, he appears to be reflecting not just on what he achieved, but on whether the country truly had time to know him beyond the image of a wealthy Tory leader who became the fifth Conservative prime minister in just six years.
