Rishi Sunak grilled on whether Tories have 'had it' and need period out of power
Rishi Sunak has been quizzed on whether the Tories have "had it" and need a "period out of power" after 13 years in Government.
As voters across England prepare to head to the polls tomorrow in local elections, the Prime Minister was told people say all the time "this country is falling apart".
Appearing on BBC Radio 2's Jeremy Vine show, it was put to him: "Post-Brexit, post-Covid, a cost-of-living crisis, people [are] so uncertain and so unhappy."
The Tory leader attempted to defend the Government's approach on the cost-of-living, as he cited measures including support for energy bills during the winter months.
He added: "We've got to bring inflation down. We've got to ease the burden on the cost-of-living. That's why I put it as my top priority and that's what we're going to deliver over the course of the year."
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Mr Sunak was then asked: "You don't see this as being - after 13 years - your party has just had it for the time being, you need a period out of power?"
The PM replied: "I've been PM for six months. What I would say to people is judge me by my actions, judge me by my values.
Polls open across England tomorrow with 230 councils having contests (PA)But he also admitted that NHS ambulance response times over the winter months were "absolutely not acceptable" - despite warning signs at the time.
The PM was also grilled on Covid fraud as the Government announced new plans to crackdown on cold calls and 'spoofing' techniques used by criminals.
In 2022 former Tory minister Lord Agnew resigned and attacked the Government's handling of fraudulent loans handed out during the pandemic.
At the time he accused the Treasury under the then-Chancellor Mr Sunak of having "little interest in the consequences of fraud to our society".
Mr Sunak said: "I respectfully disagree with him as you might expect.
"What he was referring to was what happened during Covid when people will remember we had to move at enormous speed and scale."
In 2022 a National Audit Office (NAO) report said fraud and error in the Government's Covid job support schemes cost the taxpayer a staggering £4.5billion.
During the BBC interview on Wednesday Mr Sunak also defended saying that he could "respect" the record of ex-deputy PM Dominic Raab, who resigned over a bullying probe.
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Mr Sunak said: "Because whilst he was in government, Dominic Raab achieved things that made a difference to this country. I think people will remember when the previous Prime Minister Boris Johnson was very ill with Covid, it was Dominic Raab who stepped into his shoes.
"It was an incredibly uncertain time and Dominic Raab provided stable leadership at that time and acted in a very collegiate way."
Asked about the decision to praise him as he quit, he said it was "because I can absolutely respect his record".
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