Scarborough and Whitby MP backs Rishi Sunak as next Prime Minister

Sir Robert Goodwill has been reflecting on Boris Johnson's Prime Ministerial run

Author: Karen LiuPublished 5th Sep 2022

We will find out today who is going to be our new Prime Minister.

The winner in the race to become the next leader should be announced around lunchtime.

Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak are in the running to be Boris Johnson's successor.

Sir Robert Goodwill, MP for Scarborough and Whitby, said: "Boris got the big things right but unfortunately I think some bad decisions were made such as Owen Patterson, for example, or not sacking Dominic Cummings. I called for his sacking on the first opportunity so I think history will be kind to Boris but I think some of the decisions made in Number 10, some of the things done in Number 10 by people other than the Prime Minister, meant that he really became unstuck.

"I'm backing Rishi Sunak. The polls say it's going to be Liz Truss but I think Rishi has the experience, particularly as Chancellor. If you remember the amazing work he did bringing in the furlough scheme, which was something most people hadn't heard of, he also helped people through things like 'Eat Out To Help Out' but fundamentally, I think making sure we didn't lose a lot of jobs during the pandemic.

Sir Robert added that his constituents have been getting in touch with him about the cost of living: "It's how they're going to cope over the Winter when they have to start heating their homes, start getting those gas bills in. We're going to see food prices increasing and the drought hasn't helped. Potato prices are already higher than last year and could go higher still. All those things that fundamentally we need to live on, like cooking oil, are getting expensive.

"Many people I believe will probably be much more careful in the way they use energy; they won't leave their televisions turned on when they're not in the room and they may not heat all the rooms in the house if they're not in every room. I think people will need to be careful in how they use their energy but it's important that particularly the elderly do manage to keep their homes heated and we need to help them to do that."

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