Rishi Sunak has resigned as Prime Minister of Great Britain and Conservative Party Leader following Labour's landslide victory at the General Election on July 4, 2024. CREDIT: YOUTUBE / 10 DOWNING STREET
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00:00Good morning. I will shortly be seeing His Majesty the King to offer my resignation as
00:07Prime Minister. To the country, I would like to say first and foremost, I am sorry. I have
00:15given this job my all, but you have sent a clear signal that the government of the United
00:21Kingdom must change, and yours is the only judgment that matters. I have heard your anger,
00:29your disappointment, and I take responsibility for this loss. To all the Conservative candidates
00:36and campaigners who worked tirelessly but without success, I am sorry that we could
00:42not deliver what your efforts deserved. It pains me to think how many good colleagues
00:48who contributed so much to their communities and our country will now no longer sit in
00:54the House of Commons. I thank them for their hard work and their service. Following this
01:01result, I will step down as party leader, not immediately, but once the formal arrangements
01:07for selecting my successor are in place. It is important that after 14 years in government,
01:13the Conservative Party rebuilds, but also that it takes up its crucial role in opposition
01:18professionally and effectively. When I first stood here as your Prime Minister, I told
01:25you the most important task I had was to return stability to our economy. Inflation is back
01:32to target, mortgage rates are falling, and growth has returned. We have enhanced our
01:38standing in the world, rebuilding relations with allies, leading global efforts to support
01:42Ukraine, and becoming the home of a new generation of transformative technologies. And our United
01:49Kingdom is stronger too, with the Windsor Framework, devolution restored in Northern
01:54Ireland, and our union strengthened. I am proud of those achievements. I believe this
02:00country is safer, stronger, and more secure than it was 20 months ago. And it is more
02:07prosperous, fairer, and resilient than it was in 2010. Whilst he has been my political
02:14opponent, Sir Keir Starmer will shortly become our Prime Minister. In this job, his successes
02:21will be all our successes, and I wish him and his family well. Whatever our disagreements
02:27in this campaign, he is a decent, public-spirited man who I respect. He and his family deserve
02:34the very best of our understanding as they make the huge transition to their new lives
02:40behind this door, and as he grapples with this most demanding of jobs in an increasingly
02:46unstable world. I'd like to thank my colleagues, my Cabinet, the Civil Service, especially
02:53here in Downing Street, the team at Chequers, my staff, CCHQ, but most of all, I'd like
03:00to express my gratitude to my wife, Akshita, and our beautiful daughters. I can never thank
03:06them enough for the sacrifices they have made so that I might serve our country. One of
03:13the most remarkable things about Britain is just how unremarkable it is that two generations
03:20after my grandparents came here with little, I could become Prime Minister, and that I
03:25could watch my two young daughters light Diwali candles on the steps in Downing Street.
03:32We must hold true to that idea of who we are, that vision of kindness, decency, and tolerance
03:39that has always been the British way. This is a difficult day, at the end of a number
03:47of difficult days, but I leave this job honoured to have been your Prime Minister. This is
03:53the best country in the world, and it is thanks entirely to you, the British people, the true
04:00source of all our achievements, our strengths, and our greatness. Thank you.