Current location:entertainment >>
UK PM pledges to halve inflation, boost economy
entertainment319People have gathered around
IntroductionPeople are seen with shopping bags on a street during Boxing Day sales in London, Britain, on Dec. 2 ...
People are seen with shopping bags on a street during Boxing Day sales in London, Britain, on Dec. 26, 2022. (Photo by Dinendra Haria/Xinhua)
Sunak made five pledges: to halve inflation, grow the economy, reduce national debt, cut hospital waiting lists and stop illegal migrant boats crossing the English Channel.
LONDON, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- United Kingdom (UK) Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pledged to halve inflation and boost the country's economy in his first major speech in 2023 on Wednesday.
Sunak made five pledges. These are: to halve inflation; to grow the economy; to reduce national debt; to cut hospital waiting lists; and to stop illegal migrant boats crossing the English Channel.
Calling these the "people's priorities," Sunak vowed to "work night and day" to deliver for the British people.
Britain's new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak waves to the crowd after delivering his first address to the nation outside 10 Downing Street in London, Britain, Oct. 25, 2022.(Xinhua/Li Ying)
He said his government will halve inflation this year to reduce the cost of living and give people financial security. According to official figures, the UK's annual inflation dipped to 10.7 percent in November from 11.1 percent in October.
Last November, the Bank of England (BoE) said it expected the country's consumer price index (CPI) to drop sharply after the middle of 2023.
To grow the economy, Sunak pledged to create better-paid jobs and opportunities across the country. However, this may prove to be an uphill task.
According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the UK's gross domestic product (GDP) fell by 0.3 percent in the third quarter of 2022. The BoE also warned that the country's economy is bound to remain in recession throughout 2023 and the first half of 2024, and GDP will recover only gradually thereafter.
Photo taken on March 23, 2022 shows British coins in Basingstoke, Britain. (Photo by Tim Ireland/Xinhua)
Reducing public debt has always been a priority for Sunak's fiscal policies since he took office in late October. In his Autumn Statement, Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt announced a package of tax hikes and spending cuts in a bid to improve the public finances and restore the country's economic credibility.
In Sunak's fourth pledge, he promised that the waiting lists of the National Health Service (NHS) will fall and people will get the care they need more quickly. According to the British Medical Association (BMA), in October 2022, a record 7.21 million people were waiting for medical treatment in the UK.
Sunak also vowed to pass new laws to curb the arrival of migrants in "small boats," on the country's coast. "If you come to this country illegally, you are detained and swiftly removed," he said.
Migrants arrive on a beach in Dungeness, Britain on Nov. 24, 2021. (Photo by Steve Finn/Xinhua)
The Times newspaper cited official figures as showing that a record 45,756 migrants crossed the English Channel to the UK last year.
In his speech, Sunak also said that he plans to ensure that all pupils in the country study maths until the age of 18.
He said the UK was one of the few countries in the world not to require children to study maths in some form up to that age.
"Improving education," he said, "is the closest thing to a silver bullet there is. It is the best economic policy, the best social policy, the best moral policy."■
Tags:
Reprint:Friends are welcome to share on the Internet, but please indicate the source of the article when reprinting it.“Stellar Spectacle news portal”。http://costarica.olivelawfirm.net/news-18d399950.html
Related articles
Iran helicopter crash that killed President Raisi could reverberate across the Middle East
entertainmentJERUSALEM (AP) — The helicopter crash in which Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, the country’s foreig ...
Read moreOrange harvest in central Gaza Strip
entertainmentA Palestinian farmer collects oranges on a local farm in central Gaza Strip city of Deir el Balah, o ...
Read moreTurkey vows to retaliate if EU imposes new sanctions
entertainmentTurkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu (R) and Josep Borrell, High Representative of the EU for F ...
Read more
Popular articles
- NBA playoffs: Edwards leads Wolves to 98
- Interview: IMF official warns lack of vaccination in low
- Expert warns return to lockdown conditions a possibility in B.C., Canada
- Spotlight: U.S. authorities tell int'l students to leave U.S. if universities go online
- I was 'brokefished' by my friend for £400
- People buy sheep at livestock market ahead of Eid al
Latest articles
Liverpool confirms Arne Slot as Jurgen Klopp's replacement
Voting begins in Singapore general election
Iran, Syria sign agreement to expand comprehensive military cooperation
China prepares to launch relay satellite for moon mission in Hainan
Liverpool confirms Arne Slot as Jurgen Klopp's replacement
Iran, Syria sign agreement to expand comprehensive military cooperation
LINKS
- Despite security risks, plans to open Paris Olympics on River Seine remain unchanged and on track
- Justin Verlander to make season debut for Astros on Friday night at Washington
- Does China import zero soybeans from Paraguay? — Radio Free Asia
- Tip leads to arrest in cold case killing of off
- Josh Smith's pinch
- Caitlin Clark looks like a natural as Indiana Fever introduce WNBA's top draft pick
- NCAA fast tracks rule change to make multi
- Tennessee judge wants more information on copyright before ruling on school shooter's writings
- Vinícius Junior injured in Real Madrid's Champions League quarterfinals match against Man City
- Inside Emma Roberts' $3.6M 'grown