Rishi
Sunak
has
said
he
has
“heard
your
anger”
as
he
resigned
as
leader
of
the
Conservative
Party
after
Labour
won
a
landslide
in
the
general
election.
Mr
Sunak
said
he
would
not
leave
his
role
immediately
but
would
do
so
once
a
Tory
leadership
race
begins.
“I
would
like
to
say,
first
and
foremost,
I
am
sorry.
I
have
given
this
job
my
all,”
he
said
on
the
steps
of
10
Downing
Street.
“But
you
have
sent
a
clear
signal
that
the
government
of
the
United
Kingdom
must
change.
“And
yours
is
the
only
judgement
that
matters.
“I
have
heard
your
anger,
your
disappointment,
and
I
take
responsibility
for
this
loss.”
He
added:
“I
am
honoured
to
have
been
your
prime
minister,
this
is
the
best
country
in
the
world.”
The
Conservatives
have
lost
more
seats
than
any
other
election
on
record
as
large
swathes
of
the
country
turned
red.
Sir
Keir
Starmer
claimed
victory
at
5am
on
Friday
–
telling
a
crowd
of
supporters
that
the
UK
has
“the
opportunity
after
14
years
to
get
its
future
back”.
After
winning
his
seat
in
Richmond,
North
Yorkshire,
moments
before,
Mr
Sunak
conceded
defeat
and
said
it
was
a
“sobering”
night.
He
added:
“The
Labour
Party
has
won
this
general
election
and
I
have
called
Sir
Keir
Starmer
to
congratulate
him
on
his
victory.
“The
British
people
have
delivered
a
sobering
verdict
tonight,
there
is
much
to
learn…
and
I
take
responsibility
for
the
loss.”
After
giving
his
resignation
speech
in
Downing
Street,
Mr
Sunak
and
his
wife
Akshata
walked
up
Downing
Street
into
a
car
that
took
them
to
Buckingham
Palace
where
he
tended
his
resignation
to
the
King,
as
required.
Soon
after,
the
King’s
spokesman
said:
“His
Majesty
was
graciously
pleased
to
accept.”
Mr
Sunak
admitted
during
his
resignation
speech
it
“is
a
difficult
day
at
the
end
of
a
number
of
difficult
days”.
In
a
message
to
the
hundreds
of
Tories
who
have
lost
their
seats,
he
said:
“I
am
sorry.”
“It
pains
me
to
think
how
many
good
colleagues
who
contributed
so
much
to
their
communities
and
our
country
will
now
no
longer
sit
in
the
House
of
Commons.
I
thank
them
for
their
hard
work
and
their
service,”
he
added.
Mr
Sunak
said
it
is
“important”
the
Conservative
Party
now
rebuilds
and
also
takes
up
its
“crucial
role
in
opposition,
professionally
and
effectively”.
The
MP
wished
Sir
Keir
and
his
family
well,
adding:
“Whatever
our
disagreements
in
this
campaign,
he
is
a
decent,
public-spirited
man
who
I
respect.
“He
and
his
family
deserve
the
very
best
of
our
understanding
as
they
make
the
huge
transition
to
their
new
lives
behind
this
door
and
as
he
grapples
with
this
most
demanding
of
jobs
in
an
increasingly
unstable
world.”
He
also
thanked
his
Conservative
colleagues,
his
cabinet,
the
civil
service
and
his
teams
in
Downing
Street,
the
PM’s
country
retreat
Chequers
and
his
staff
at
Conservative
headquarters.
Analysis:
Fickle
voters
hand
Labour
a
‘loveless
landslide’
Mr
Sunak
reflected
on
his
leadership,
saying
inflation
is
“back
to
target,
mortgage
rates
are
falling
and
growth
has
returned”.
He
said
the
Conservatives
have
“enhanced
our
standing
in
the
world,
rebuilding
relations
with
allies,
leading
global
efforts
to
support
Ukraine
and
becoming
the
home
of
a
new
generation
of
transformative
technologies”.
Mr
Sunak
also
said
“our
United
Kingdom
is
stronger”
thanks
to
the
Windsor
Framework,
devolution
“restored”
in
Northern
Ireland
and
“our
union
strengthened”
–
which
he
said
he
was
proud
of.
He
ended
by
talking
about
Britain
being
remarkably
“unremarkable”
due
to
the
fact
two
generations
after
his
grandparents
arrived
in
the
UK
he
could
become
prime
minister
and
“could
watch
my
two
young
daughters
light
Diwali
candles
on
the
steps
in
Downing
Street”.
Explore
the
world
of
impactful
news
with
CitiNewsroom
on
WhatsApp!
Click
on
the
link
to
join
the
Citi
Newsroom
channel
for
curated,
meaningful
stories
tailored
just
for
YOU:
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaCYzPRAYlUPudDDe53x
No
spams,
just
the
stories
that
truly
matter!
#StayInformed
#CitiNewsroom
#CNRDigital