Rishi Sunak has apologized to the public following a decisive defeat of the Conservative Party by Labour in the UK general election, announcing his resignation as party leader.
The 44-year-old former financier had called for the election six months earlier than required, banking on improved economic data to regain public support for the Tories. However, Thursday’s vote reflected the public’s desire for change after 14 years of economic challenges, Brexit disruptions, and internal party conflicts.
“To the country, I would like to say first and foremost, I am sorry,” Sunak stated outside the Prime Minister’s residence at Downing Street, before heading to Buckingham Palace to officially resign as prime minister to King Charles III. “I have given this job my all, but you have sent a clear signal that the government of the United Kingdom must change. And yours is the only judgment that matters.”
He added, “I have heard your anger, your disappointment, and I take responsibility for this loss.”
The magnitude of the defeat necessitated Sunak’s resignation as the Conservative Party leader, making him the fifth leader to do so since 2010. He will remain in the role until an internal leadership contest is arranged, a contest expected to define the party’s future direction.
Sunak witnessed a record number of his top ministers lose their seats, including Defense Secretary Grant Shapps and House of Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt. His immediate predecessor, Liz Truss, also lost her seat.
Sunak, Britain’s first prime minister of color and an observant Hindu, extended his best wishes to his successor, Keir Starmer, describing him as “a decent, public-spirited man who I respect.”
Reflecting on his tenure, he said, “One of the most remarkable things about Britain is just how unremarkable it is that two generations after my grandparents came here with little, I could become prime minister. And that I could watch my two young daughters light Diwali candles on the steps in Downing Street. We must hold true to that idea of who we are.”
