In his first interview since leaving office, the former Prime Minister reflects on leadership, immigration, net zero, and more.
Former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak dismissed claims questioning his English identity, calling them “ridiculous.” Speaking on Political Thinking with Nick Robinson on the BBC. Sunak was responding to podcaster Konstantin Kisin’s remarks, in which Kisin suggested Sunak is “not English” due to his background as a Brown Hindu. Sunak countered this argument by drawing parallels with England’s national sports teams, stating, “Look at the composition of our England football and cricket teams. By that definition, you can’t be English and play for England—let alone support them.”
The interview marked Sunak’s first public conversation since stepping down as prime minister. Reflecting on his tenure, he opened up about the emotional and stressful burden of leadership, particularly as he faced the blame for his party’s losses. He admitted to personally apologizing to his colleagues, acknowledging the weight of responsibility. Sunak also addressed the challenges he faced within the Conservative Party, noting that even people were uncomfortable with having a Brown man as their leader. Despite the difficulties, he spoke fondly of his time in office, expressing how much he misses his team and the camaraderie they shared.
On immigration, Sunak defended his stance against illegal migration, stating that it is unfair both to British taxpayers and to legal migrants. However, he admitted that the “Stop the Boats” slogan was “a bit stark, too binary,” and acknowledged that he should have placed more focus on refining the policy. He further admitted that his government was slow to act on legal migration, saying, “We knew the numbers were high, but we got the data later. I took a series of steps to reduce legal migration, but I should have done it sooner.”
In the one-hour-long interview, Sunak also weighed in on Britain’s relationship with the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), arguing that the UK should leave the treaty unless significant reforms are made. “The European court does need to reform, or we should leave,” he stated, reinforcing his position that the ECHR has interfered with Britain’s ability to control its borders and enforce immigration policies.
Additionally, Sunak argues that the UK could not afford a legally binding net-zero target. He says that net zero should be “a noble ambition that we strive towards,” but it must be balanced against economic realities. He indicated that he would now “probably go further” in relaxing green policies to avoid imposing excessive costs on businesses and consumers. Sunak also said that environmental policies should be harmonised with other national interests, casting doubt on the need for legally binding net-zero targets. He adds “The government is not legally required to lower living expenses, lower taxes, or stimulate the economy. “Like all those other topics, net zero should just be discussed,”. While addressing climate change is still crucial, he said, it shouldn’t come at the price of economic expansion or British households’ ability to make ends meet. When faced with criticism over his policies, Sunak defended his record, stating, “We did what we said we would. We brought down inflation.” He emphasized that his government had delivered on its key economic pledge, despite the challenges it faced.
In the final question, when asked whether he would pursue politics again, Sunak responded, There are a lot of other things I’m passionate about, and I’m still serving. I’m excited about this next chapter of my life. I’m only 44; I have many more years ahead. I would love to spend some time with my daughters. He also humorously shared that he has yet to succeed in making his daughters love his two passions, Star Wars and Football.
