Reacting to Rishi Sunak’s first Downing Street speech as Prime Minister, the CSJ said:
“That was a serious speech for serious times. In his first statement as Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak outlined his commitment to the winning pledges of the 2019 manifesto: better schools and public services, safer streets, controlling immigration and levelling up our regions. The Centre for Social Justice welcomes the Prime Minister’s decision to revert back to the issues concerning thousands of people in this nation who for decades found themselves left behind.
But, as he acknowledged, there are ‘profound economic challenges’ ahead, with high energy prices, soaring inflation and the looming threat of recession. Through the turbulence to come, we call upon the Prime Minister to ensure the poorest and most vulnerable in society are always protected, and that difficult decisions are made with compassion for those with the very least.
Still, the Prime Minister must go further. People are potential to be unlocked, not problems to be solved, yet the legacy of the pandemic represents a stranglehold on the potential of too many in 2022. Thousands of children are yet to return to school. Record numbers are blighted by addiction to drugs or alcohol. Anti-social behaviour wrecks the health of our communities and we emerge from the pandemic as a world leader in family breakdown. The Prime Minister’s legacy will be defined by his ability to carry out the social repair our country desperately needs as much as his role stabilising the economy.
We look forward to working with the Prime Minister and his team as we continue our mission to put social justice at the heart of British politics. There’s no time to lose.”