In Full: Rishi Sunak questioned on general election, defence spending and Rwanda by Trevor Phillips

Prime Minister, at some point in the next nine months you will face the electorate for the first time as leader of your party, which makes you a winner, delivering for the British people and I got this job that we had been through a lot as a country . I had had the pandemic and just when we were recovering from the pandemic, the war in Ukraine raised everyone's energy bills, dealing with inflation and it was a really difficult time for everyone, but I'm determined to make sure people feel that when the

election

s come. the future is better because we have turned a corner and I think at the beginning of this year you can see that is starting to happen, inflation has fallen from 11% to just over 3% the other week, taxes are being cut in £900 for an average worker kicking people in the mouth next week energy bills are falling and we can have a feeling that the future will be better for people and their families, they can have that peace of mind and that confidence, and that It's what I've worked on. incredibly difficult to meet, you may have that feeling, but for the last year you have been 20 points off in every survey.

You may be the only person in Britain who thinks you're delivering what will make you a winner this Thursday. In local

election

s and in

general

elections, local elections are always difficult for parties in power, but I actually think this is an opportunity to focus on what the reality of the Labor Party in power really means. Look at Birmingham, where workers have bankrupted local workers. They are worried about you. and your choices at the point of delivery are a right of choice and we have choices in the West Midlands. Labor have bankrupted Europe's largest local authority and people in Birmingham are paying the price with a 21% council tax rise and instead you got Andy Street, a fantastic mayor, delivering housing in places right, attracting investments for H people and I think that's the contrast.

This is another good example. You've got Ben Hin delivering, leveling up in action, saving the airport, luring the treasure campus to Darlington, investing high. streets and urban centers or in London, which is the only place in the country where knife crime is increasing, everywhere else it is decreasing on average, a place where the Eon worker has not met his police recruitment targets while that we have delivered 20,000 more police officers so that that is the choice in those elections, Trevor, and that people obviously have the opportunity to express their opinion. I let you clarify that point, but neither Benin nor Andre Stre would say now that they are absolutely safe, but come on.

Speaking I'm not saying everything I said that elections for sitting governments are always difficult mid-terms, but I think local elections give us the opportunity to talk about what the reality of the Labor Party and power means, whether it's a increase in crime in London. Increase in municipal taxes, let's talk. about the reality of the conservatives in power this week you announced that you would spend 75 billion on defense, you would put the country on a war footing, that money could have been spent on hospitals and schools, couldn't it? a choice and I have made a decision because, whether we like it or not, the world in which we live is more dangerous, there is an axis of authoritarian states with values ​​different from ours that act in a more assertive way and in a way that is more coordinated Iran Russia North Korea China and that is detrimental to our country, our values ​​and our interests, so the right thing for me as prime minister, given that the security of our people is my first responsibility, is to ensure that we invest to maintain the country safe and that is why I have announced the further strengthening of Our intergenerational National Defense.

You are right, we are taking defense doubling up to 2 and a half% of GDP and that will mean that we have the investments we need. to keep our country safe and that's why when I stood alongside the Secretary General of NATO when I announced this and he praised the UK's leadership, we lead by example on the world stage and this is how we will keep everyone, here's the issue, even if I am Prime Minister, this sum goes You have just described the magnitude of the challenge you face. No one can argue with that, but some experts say that in reality this doesn't even amount to much more than £20bn, even if it is. 75 billion in six years is not much, this is just an attempt to create a dividing line with the workers, isn't it?

It is the greatest strengthening of Our National Defense in a generation. If you look at any of the military experts, any of the previous defense. Secretaries or even the Secretary General of NATO or world leaders elsewhere have praised the UK's leadership. Now we have always led when in 2014 we had a NATO Summit in the United Kingdom where the allies committed to

spending

2% of their GDP on defense. We are one of the Four countries that fulfilled that commitment and we have fulfilled it for a decade, but unfortunately now the environment is more dangerous and I think this represents a turning point for security, that is why we established a new baseline of 2 % and a half.

The UK is once again leading by example and will be the biggest defense spender in Europe, second in NATO behind the US and, more importantly, although Trevor, the important point here is that this is what it is needed to keep the country safe, it is a generational investment in our security and in fact, you know we are here at this incredible plant of our prosperity because the defense industry supports hundreds of thousands of jobs across the UK and that investment will also create and support jobs here again, but the crucial question is: I understand your point, but no, no, but here's the question, is there a choice, you talked about elections, right, we think I'm going to tell them there is a choice. among the workforce, we have that canev, this is the country, this is the security of the country, we have made a decision.

I believe it is the important and correct choice for our country. The Labor Party has not matched that and that is a choice for the country. If you think that the world is more dangerous and we have to invest, there is only one party that will deliver. I want to ask you about your claim about delivery, let's move on to your flagship policy, Randa, so you asked us to judge you and I would just like to stop this by asking you to be precise about what is considered a success when you say stop the ship, do you?

Do you mean all small ships or just some small ships? Well, take a step back when I got this job. No, I just like that you take care of this. You are a precise guy. I just want to take care of that. I want to stop the. ships but let's take a step back when I got this job yes illegal migration is wrong we just saw this week Trevor more people died tragically in the canal more people died tragically lost their lives because they are exploited by criminal gangs , do you think? any life lost is acceptable.

No, that's no, I don't and I don't think anyone should accept that we don't agree on all of that, but you're not answering the question I asked, which is what success is. Is zero a small pot or just a smaller number? Well, success is stopping boats. We already delivered a smaller number last year. We delivered a smaller number last year. Remember that before I got this job, the number of boats had literally quadrupled in a few years they had been going up and up. I got this job, we worked hard at it and as a result last year you saw the numbers going down, we already reduced the number of boats by 36% last year, are you pulling? numbers, but let me tell you there are over 6,000 this quarter, which is over 25% more than the same quarter last year, yes, and as I said this week, almost all of that increase is coming from one country.

Vietnam because last year we tackled the problem of illegal immigrants from Albania, we returned thousands, we saw the numbers drop, which shows that deterrence works and we will be able to do it with the Vietnamese as well and we have had Vietnamese officials here in the UK we are talking to the head office about how to strengthen migration cooperation describing the situation to me but not answering the question about what success means, let me, but let me address your point that I have actually been, I have been precisely clear about ship zero, you said that you stood up and said: I make this promise to you, you use the word promise, yes, stop the ship, I want to stop the ship, I want to end illegal migration, okay, because the number we are looking for is zero, it is well, you're trying to make a political point about it.

Do you think you think someone you are about the delivery and I'm asking you what is your delivery what is the but Trevor? Think about the alternative answer to your question. Is there a leader or party? A party leader or prime minister is sitting here and saying yes, there is a level of illegal migration. I will accept it. How can the answer to that question be anything other than illegal? migration is wrong, it is unfair, it undermines our sense of justice, people tragically lose their lives, as they did this week on the channel, now none of that is acceptable or right, anyone sitting here should tell you that they are determined to do it like I am. do everything they can to put an end to this horrible trade, you are saying what you already told me, that is what I am determined to do.

Can I quickly ask you one thing that the Deputy Prime Minister of Ireland says on this point because you are talking about Rwanda? It's important, isn't it, we've just had an important moment this week where, despite all the opposition from the Labor Party, we passed the Rwanda Bill through Parliament in the face of enormous opposition. That's important because the only way to completely solve this problem is to have a deterrent so that if people come to our country illegally they can't stay and we can send them back. Sorry, sorry if it seems like I'm rushing you, but I'm working according to your Schedule which is limited if we had a lot of time.

I could let you talk. Repeat the question. The answer, but let me ask you quickly. Ireland's Deputy Prime Minister says many of the people coming are crossing these boats and finding their way to the island. Are we simply exporting? The problem now is that the deterrent. Well, my focus is on the UK and securing our borders, but what that common illustrates is a couple of things: one of them is that illegal migration is a global challenge and that is why we are seeing multiple countries They talk about creating partnerships with third countries to look for novel ways to solve this problem and I think they will follow what the United Kingdom has done, but I think what it also shows is that, according to your comment, the deterrent element is already having an impact because the People are worried about coming. here and that shows exactly what I'm saying, if people come to our country illegally but know they won't be able to stay well, they are much less likely to come and that's why the Randa program is so successful, let's talk about it. this week's politics you are going to take a beating in the local elections how many seats do you have to lose before you accept that the people have lost confidence in you and that it is time for you to stand down or call a

general

assembly? election well look when it comes to general elections I have been very clear about it several times I said at the beginning of this year you have I'm going to ask you about that well let me ask you about it you said uh second half of this year second half of this year I could be July yes and again I am not going to say anything more than what I have already said I have been very clear about that July again you are going to try and say are you ruling this in are you ruling that in I remember when I had to know when my vacation of July are possible well actually Trevor, it's more important than your vacation or anyone else's vacation.

I have a job to do. is delivering for the country and as we have been talking, we are delivering when it comes to addressing legal migration, we are delivering when it comes to investments, we can move on, so I'm not. No, I'm not going to do that and you're going to try to do this and I remember you did the same thing when I was Chancellor before the Budgets, you can't put this tax on this tax wagon and say to yourself You're scrapping this, you're ringing and I'd give you the same answer every time. Look at this, although we have talked about it, you are not going to rule out July, try to draw whatever conclusion you want from what I say.

I'm always going to say the same thing, you should listen to what I've said, the same thing I've said all year, but the point is that there is a choice when it comes to the general election and look over Last week or so, you He had a very clear feeling that the country can have a very clear idea of ​​what that difference will be like. I have outlined radical reforms to our social welfare system where we have seen an unacceptable increase not only in thewelfare, but we are wasting the potential of a generation of people, so we need to reform our welfare system to help people get jobs, make sure the system is not being exploited.

I have announced a massive increase in defense

spending

because that is what is necessary. To keep our country safe we ​​have passed our Rwanda Bill through Parliament because I believe in stopping the boats and next week everyone who works will see a £900 tax cut in their paychecks. That's what I am doing and accomplishing. that is the substance of what this government is about and what it is going to do in the future and when the elections come there will be a clear choice because the Labor Party has tried to thwart our Randa Bill because I don't believe in stopping it. the vote on their economic planraising people's taxes they have not said they will invest more in our defense prime minister we have agreed that they certainly do not agree with the reform of our welfare system that could come in July let me talk, let's talk about what will you be putting people or people's mood um Sky has done an exclusive survey this week and what it shows is that of the people who voted conservative in 2019, something like 2 thirds say they can't believe the promises that you, you, Prime Minister, Conservative Prime Minister.

Isn't it so humiliating that your own voters no longer trust you? No, because it has been a very difficult time for the country and of course I know people are frustrated. Think about everything we've already talked about. Well, I think I can. Well, actually I think so because I'm out every week talking to a lot of people and of course there's been a sense of frustration over the last few years, everything we've been through as a country hasn't been easy for anyone, but I'm sure that we have turned a corner and you can see more clearly that in the economy, when I got this job, inflation was at 11% because of our plan and that plan is working in the latest set of numbers, inflation has fallen. at 3.2% energy bills are falling by hundreds of pounds wages have been rising for several months in a row the economy is growing and next week on everyone's pay we will see a tax cut averaging £900 over the year and I think those are signs of progress and that will make a difference to people let's talk about something that was important when you came in as Prime Minister after being Chancellor your personal ratings were 30 points ahead of your party today you are down where your party is really hugely negative uh territory um do you feel disappointed that the conservative party has dragged you down?

It's ruining your reputation. No, not sorry again. It's probably like the fifth, fourth, or fifth question you've asked, where you've talked about polls and politics and you know. what I tell you what I do every day I get up and work hard to deliver for the country on the things that matter to them and in reality you know what I'm not, I don't get distracted or focus on asking about policies no no, no, but what I'm saying is that this is just a big difference. I'm focused on the substance of what colleagues this week. They have to address that point and I'm actually just asking them and I'm very happy to be able to do that.

We talked about that, Trevor, so let's talk about what you said that dragged you in, but again, let's talk about this week. Okay, but the gist of what's going to happen this week is that in the West Midlands there is a choice: the Labor Party has bankrupted Birmingham, the largest venue. Authority in Europe and increase municipal tax by 21%. You've told me I get it, but here's my point, that's the gist of what's happening this week, not a poll about this or a poll about that or who's saying this. the substance is that there is a 21% council tax rise from everyone in Birmingham Andy Street is delivering for the people on Teeside Ben Hin is delivering leveling up into action saving the airport attracting government jobs investing in high streets and centers of the cities, you know that's the reality in London crime is going up when it's going down everywhere else, that's the substance of what this election is about, not this poll or who said what about this person, well , who said what about this person, what it seems to me is that you are quite reluctant.

To talk about the most important person here, which is you, I spoke to a leading Conservative, I won't tell you where they are in Parliament, but it's a supporter of yours, someone who likes you, who has spoken for you, etc. what that individual said was that he wished that you had continued as Chancellor and that he had been remembered as a brilliant Chancellor and not as the Prime Minister who led the Conservatives into the wilderness. If I could go back in time would I take your advice no, I made my reasons for that clear at the time and I'm proud of the record I have as Chancellor and that's where people got to know me.

I became Chancellor three weeks later, we were lucky hit once in a row. Pandemic of the 19th century and people saw what they could do for this country. I took a step forward to get the country out of a very difficult moment. I protected 10 million jobs in the process and ensured we had the fastest post-pandemic economic recovery of any major pandemic. European economy, so yes, it is a record that of course I am proud of and I bring exactly the same set of values ​​and exactly the same set of dedication to work that I have now and therefore in the priorities.

What people care about is whether it is reducing inflation, growing the economy, reducing our debt, reducing waiting lists which we haven't talked about and which have now decreased over the last 5 months or, in fact, stopping the ships with my determination to launch the Randa SCH. since September, so these are all the things that I'm accomplishing and focusing on properly, so that's what it's all about, that's the substance of what we're doing and after a few difficult years we've turned a corner and things they are pointing in the right direction and I am absolutely committed and energized to deliver on this country and this job, last question Prime Minister, if you lose there will be no regrets, again, you are again focused on all these personality things that you I'm focused. fulfilling country F I'm focused on you and what I'm doing is getting up every day and working as hard as possible to deliver for people on the things that matter to them and to me, and as you've seen in the last week or two, that's what we're doing is making significant reforms to our social welfare system to help people work because that's good for them because there's dignity and purpose and hope in work and the current system is just financially unsustainable and that's not It's fair, massive. investment in our defense because the world we live in is more uncertain landmark legislation to kickstart our plan in Rwanda to stop the boats a £900 tax cut next week on everyone's lips Pace, that's in what I'm focused on about the prime minister.

I hope we can talk more about this after the election. Me too.