PM Addresses the Nation

[Michael Marshall]

Good Evening.

 

I address you tonight at the outset of my term as Prime Minister to address a poignant moment in our nation’s history. The catastrophic effect of inflation is profound. Food prices at the supermarkets continue to rise. Energy prices have been mitigated in the short term only through our actions in government. Many of you at home have seen energy bills come in at a smoothed rate increase of a few percent rather than a dramatic 72% increase. My first priority as Chancellor was to mitigate the effects of accelerating price increases for the many; my first priority as Prime Minister will be to continue that work, preserving the prosperity of our Whole Nation amidst challenging times. 

 

Those of you working in manufacturing, construction, and the service industries have seen the wholesale cost of your resources rise. In turn, the price of nearly everything for everyone else has risen as well.

 

These price increases have been caused by a lack of foresight which is decades in the making. This lack of foresight is the fault of governments of all creeds and colours: the right, the left, and the centre. The crisis is global and prices are rising rapidly in every developed country. My government will take serious, sustained and dramatic action to ease the pain, but I have to be honest with you: it is not within my power to make this crisis disappear in the next year. This is a crisis in our living standards, our society, and of confidence in the institutions which failed us. As the war in Ukraine puts the future of Europe at risk, forcing millions to face an energy crisis and even famine, we must revoke once and for all our dependence on the corrupt, closed and belligerent governments who for too long dominated our supply of primary resources. We must develop energy and supply chain security at home, and lasting partnerships with reliable governments overseas. This is vital work, and it will not happen overnight.

 

The rising prices we see tell us that we can no longer sustainably recover the resources needed to live the way we wish to live. There is no longer enough gas, no longer enough food, no longer enough water, and no longer enough wealth properly distributed to meet the needs of us all. Too many people this year will go cold, hungry, and without hope to provide for their loved ones during the holiday season. In the UK, we are seeing a reduction losses in living standards on a par with the Great Wars in Europe.

 

In the face of this crisis, I can assure you that my government will put in place massive support to mobilise our whole nation and provide the resources needed to heat and feed every household. In return, I must ask you, if you can and if it is safe to do so, to think about using less this winter. Keep your thermostats set at no higher than 19 degrees, unless you have people with you who are extremely vulnerable to the cold. Donate unwanted or unneeded food to food banks. We will set a target to reduce gas usage by 10% this winter and 20% by the next by improving alternative energy production and construction. We will establish the trade agreements we need to lower tariffs on food imports while protecting our domestic farmers. We will set the many skilled workers in the country across energy, construction, and agriculture to the task of providing enough to all with government funding allowing claims for home insulation. Every bit of energy you save, food you give, and work you do may help someone else to survive this winter. This is a Whole Nation effort, and we will ask those in industry to participate in this effort by being prepared to sacrifice short term gains for long term national well being. 

 

The truth is there is not enough gas in the ground or food in the fields to resolve this crisis quickly. The challenges ahead are great, but our rewards for coming together as a nation are greater. By addressing the immediate needs we have in front of us, together, we can create the fundamental changes to make our country more resilient. We will no longer rely on dictators abroad or on an economic system that has failed to provide enough to enough of us. We will fundamentally alter the dynamic by which we address these problems with innovation, diplomacy, and colossal but pragmatic deployments of capital and national effort. During my campaign I outlined a month by month agenda of the actions my government will take. This agenda was prepared in coordination with the new members of the cabinet, and some of the most brilliant minds our country has to offer.

 

The government  has come to its reckoning with the reality of the moment and of the era. We have done away with leaders who are all bluster without much muster. This is a government that can self correct as the country demands. We will implement the holistic solutions to improve your living standards, revolutionise your government with innovation, turn the trend around for wealth inequality, and leverage our great minds to create a self sustaining energy independent Britain that reaches Net Zero ahead of schedule. We will not only preserve, but improve, the lives of hard working Britons today and for our grandchildren tomorrow.

Thank you for the privilege to serve as your Prime Minister. Now, the work of a nation continues.