Con SP: Sarah Hastings at Number 10

[Samuel Gallagher]

 Sarah Hastings arrives at Number 10 in her Jaguar. She is joined by her husband, Peter Hastings, and their four children. She makes her way to a microphone set up for this purpose.

I have just been to Buckingham Palace where Her Majesty The Queen asked me to form a government and I accepted.

Just one year ago, this government was elected on the promise that Britain can do better. That we can build better bonds between people and communities. That we can build a stronger sense of national purpose.

Under Nicholas Colton’s leadership, we made enormous strides towards those goals. I applaud his firm commitment to building a big society in which all can thrive. I thank him for his service to our country.

One year into this government, our job is not done. Upon taking office, we inherited a stumbling economy. Through decisive action and bold leadership, we sought to ensure economic stability: boosting our families, supporting our businesses, and investing in our communities. Yet there are still great challenges ahead.

I am prepared to do whatever it takes to guide the United Kingdom through these challenges. We will work diligently to ensure financial stability, sound money, secure families, and resilient businesses.

But we must also look beyond: to ensure that we build a nation strengthened by the challenges we face, a nation that is prepared to challenge, not only our ideological differences, but the economic, social, and geographic divisions that grip our homes. Breaking these divisions that deny us a big society that lifts all is paramount to our work.

The economic divisions we face are plagued by a model based on uncontrolled growth in financial services and stagnation across the rest of the economy. Regulators that served the City, not the country. While a responsible City is a pillar of our economy, it must not be the only one. This government shall bring forward a moral capitalism: a capitalism that embraces true conservative values to promote enterprise, ensure responsibility, and foster free markets. A capitalism where it is the duty of businesses, unions, communities, and governments to build a big, growth-oriented society together.

It is with this moral capitalism that we will tear down old social divisions to build an aspirational, entrepreneurial society: a renewed meritocracy where social mobility is a guiding value, not a catchphrase or heading for cold statistics. A meritocracy that values the dignity of work, not simply the nature of it. A meritocracy that gives every person the opportunity to succeed, no matter their background.

And, of course, we can only accomplish this by renewing our communities, rebuilding the bedrock that holds our United Kingdom together. No matter what corner of the country one is in, building robust communities is critical. And too many communities have been left behind over the past ten years. We shall move vigilantly to renew “ghost towns”, to combat family breakdown, and to confront the epidemics of crime that communities face.

These are long term challenges that we must confront. I shall seek to lead our nation in doing so.

In serving as Prime Minister, I have a fundamental belief that we are all in this together. We shall confront the challenges that face this country together. And we shall rebuild the bonds that are tested by those challenges together as well.

Yes, the challenges we face are immense. We have never faced daunting challenges and turned away. These challenges demand radical change: not just in our laws, but in building a society that empowers ordinary people. It will not be easy. But we have accomplished much in the past year. And as we move forward, we will deliver the government that our United Kingdom needs to overcome the challenges we face and change the future of our nation.

Thank you.

Hastings, her husband, and her children enter Number 10.