UK Prime Minister makes appeal before election

(Reuters) – British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Monday (13) urged voters to trust him to keep them safe in an increasingly dangerous world, listing his achievements ahead of a national election expected to take place at some point. Year.

With his Conservative Party trailing Labor in the polls, Sunak used a conservative speech to convince voters that he alone could defend the country against the “axis of totalitarian states”.

He hit out at Labour, saying the opposition could not live up to promises to increase defense spending or fight illegal immigration and only had a “clear plan” for the future – rejected by Labor leader Keir Starmer.

“The next election our country faces is a general election and the choice in this general election is clear: it’s against the future and against the past,” Sunak told the Policy Exchange think tank.

“We have a clear understanding of what the future holds — the most dangerous time we’ve known in a long time, but also the most transformative — and only we have bold ideas and a clear plan to deliver a safer future. For the country.”

Labor responded by accusing the Conservatives of overseeing an “expensive mess”.

“The only way to end the chaos, turn the page and start renewal is a change of government,” said Pat McFadden, Labour’s national campaign co-ordinator.

“Conservatives can’t fix the country’s problems because they are the problem.”

Sunak’s address to voters sets the stage for what is expected to be a tense election campaign, with the prime minister’s team frustrated by what they believe has been a lack of appreciation for what he has achieved in government so far.

Sunak used the speech to talk about the measures he has implemented to date, including a pledge to increase defense spending to 2.5% of GDP annually by 2030. Years of government.

“I’m not pretending for a second that everything was perfect in the last 14 years, certainly not,” he said. “But I’m proud of our record.”