In his first speech of the new year, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak sought to bring serenity to the British in times of economic and social uncertainty. “The core of his story about him was actually that he didn’t want to make false promises,” said UK correspondent Lia van Bekhoven.
In the speech – which lasted about half an hour – Sunak tried to make the British people understand why he has been at 10 Downing Street for more than 70 days, thinks Van Bekhoven. “And what exactly is his message,” he says. He said he wanted to be judged on some of the promises made by him and his government. Most importantly, the British government cuts inflation in half this year, but also shortens healthcare waiting lists and stops the influx of boat people from Calais.’
Interestingly, however, Van Bekhoven points out, that’s not really what the British want to hear. “He says he wants to keep those promises, but that’s not really what they want to hear,” he says. “But it can easily be said that he can keep the forecasts, for example, of the halving of inflation, of the growth of the economy and of the contraction of the national debt, because economists from all over the world are already saying so”.
health care
Van Bekhoven thinks the goals of shortening waiting lists for treatment and stopping migrants are far more ambitious. But they don’t want to hear it. Instead, they want to hear how the government intends to resolve the wave of strikes that began in the autumn,” he continues. “The strikers plan to extend the strike until the summer.”
Van Bekhoven also speaks of an acute health crisis. “He’s been on his knees for years, and now there’s a crisis every day there,” he continues. ‘Every day there are stories of cures coming too late resulting in deaths. According to doctors, around 500 people die needlessly every week because they are not helped in time.’
Settlement
According to Van Bekhoven, there is a good chance that Sunak is held responsible for the strike crisis in particular. “The British want to know if there is a plan, if there is an exit strategy and how the government foresees the end of those strikes”, he concludes. ‘And in particular with what measures he wants to get health care back on its feet. He didn’t mention all those details and figurative dots on the ‘i’, all the practical action plans.’
Source: BNR
Sharon Rock is an author and journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. She has a passion for learning about different cultures and understanding the complexities of the world. With a talent for explaining complex global issues in an accessible and engaging way, Sharon has become a respected voice in the field of world news journalism.
