Conservative councillor for Kersal and Broughton Park, Arnold Saunders, believes that Rishi Sunak is the correct candidate to lead their party into the next election.

It was announced on Monday afternoon that Sunak would take over from Liz Truss as PM after her resignation last week.

The councillor voted for Truss in the election only two months ago, and now claims to have full confidence in the country’s first Asian Prime Minister. He added that while Truss had good ideas she explained them incorrectly.

When asked what he wants Sunak to do for the local area, he said: “I’m not going to pretend that everything is great in Salford. It does have problems, in some cases more than many other areas, I think were the 18th most deprived area in the country…

“But what I think will happen is that he will start putting the economy back together, markets will start to rally and mortgage rates will stabilise. Anything that brings mortgage rates down will bring energy prices down and help residents of Salford.

cllr arnold saunders

“What I also want from Rishi is help for the worst off. I want help for the poorest, I also want some help for everybody in the middle of the equation. When you’re talking about massive increases in mortgages, energy bills and food bills then I think anything that can be done to bring down costs of living should be done.”

“Another thing I want from Rishi is to honour the commitment to the red wall and I’ll be knocking on the door saying ‘what can we do to level up’.”

Cllr Saunders believes that while Sunak is a safe pair of hands, he has his work cut out.

He said: “I think Rishi has got a good chance – you’re talking 18 months; it isn’t going to be brilliant in 18 months, but I think he can do enough especially if the war in Ukraine is finished, and Putin is defeated.

“I think we’ll see a difference; the energy prices will come down and have a knock-on effect, and people will be able to see in the 18 months that he can give the Conservatives a chance.

“We need to get straight down to work and that’s why I’m glad he got in today and has the rest of the week – I really think he will need every day.”

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