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Rishi Sunak on Hinduism and Downing Street
Q: Hinduism is important to you. Do you have a shrine in Downing Street?
Sunak says he has a Lord Ganesh. He says it is common for Hindus to offer a prayer to Lord Ganesh when they start a new job. He says he did this when he became chancellor, and when he became prime minister he took the statue with him to No 10.
And that’s the end of the interview.
Sunak on Tax Simplification and NHS Reform
Q: Are you looking to simplify the tax system?
Yes, says Sunak. He says the budget included very significant measures to simplify taxes for investment. The UK is one of the most ‘“tax generous places” to invest in the world.
He says Nigel Lawson, who died recently, said that Sunak was right to get borrowing down and inflation under control before cutting taxes. He goes on:
We’ve got the sound fundamentals to cut taxes, that’s what I know everyone would like us to do, and that’s what we want to deliver.
Q: Have you got the courage to have a conversation with the public about why other European countries have better health services than ours?
Sunak says he wants reform of the NHS. That will involve lots of things, including more use of the private sector.
Sunak on Immigration and Control
Q: The OBR expects net migration to reach record levels. Is that what taking back control of immigration was supposed to be about?
Sunak says, as a supporter of Brexit, he wanted the government to be in control. Now it is in control.
He says the most important question on migration is what is being done to stop the small boats.
Q: It is a fact that you cannot get the growth you need in the economy without significant immigration.
Sunak does not accept that. He says there were measures in the budget to get people back into work.
Sunak on Politics and Public Service
Q: Given the intrusions into private life that politicians experience, why did you choose this job?
Sunak says that is a good question, and one he asks himself. But knowing you can make a difference to people’s lives is a rare privilege, he says.
Q: How will you support London Conservatives in their campaign against the Ulez?
Sunak says London Conservatives have done a superb job. There was a legal success against this. He says in Cambridgeshire recently the Tories won a council seat off the Lib Dems, for the first time in 16 years, campaigning on congestion charging.
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