Rishi Sunak Accused Of Downgrading His Five 'Promises' To Voters

Rishi Sunak has been accused of watering down the five promises he made to voters at the start of the year.

The prime minister vowed to halve inflation, cut NHS waiting lists, grow the economy, reduce the national debt and stop the boats carrying asylum seekers across the English Channel.

In a speech on January 3, he said: “I want to make five promises to you today. Five pledges to deliver peace of mind.”

In a Sky News interview this morning, the prime minister described them as his “priorities” - not promises or pledges - 10 times.

Since making his speech in January, NHS waiting lists have hit a record high, inflation remains above 10%, the economy continues to flatline and the small boat are still crossing the Channel.

Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner said the PM was “once again shifting his own goalposts to mask a Tory track record of failure”.

“Whether it’s abandoning the Conservative manifesto or junking his own commitments, credibility is seeping away from him,” she said.

“This prime minister is hopelessly out of touch and disconnected from the reality working people are facing.”

Christine Jardine, the Liberal Democrat Cabinet Office spokesperson, said:  “After an endless stream of Conservative broken promises and pledges there is no surprise that Rishi Sunak has already started to row back on what he can deliver. 

“This weak prime Mminister’s promises aren’t worth the paper they’re written on and by belittling them to priorities, he’s proven that loud and clear to the British people.

“For a government that promised integrity at every level it sure is in short supply.”

A Downing Street source said: “He has been calling them priorities for a long time - indeed he referred to them as priorities in his January speech.

“He’s called them interchangeabley between promises and priorities since then.”