Key Takeaways From UK Prime Minister Sunak’s Bloomberg Interview

Andre Janse van Vuuren
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UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak spoke in London Sunday with Bloomberg’s Francine Lacqua. Here are the key takeaways from their conversation:

Bullish on UK Economy

Sunak wants the public service to give UK taxpayers more value for money but denies that he’s overseeing a return to austerity, even as the official fiscal watchdog says that his tax-cutting plans assume a squeeze on state departments.

“I think any commentary or accusation that’s what’s happening is just simply unfounded,” he said. “Government is already spending a lot of people’s money, and what we need to see going forward is more productivity out of the public sector.”

He also said tax-cuts are “the direction of travel now.”

Sunak was keen to emphasize that the UK economy has turned the corner after avoiding a recession this year, pointing toward £29.5 billion ($37.2 billion) of business investment ahead of summit with business leaders on Monday.

The UK economy, he insisted, “has got real momentum” and on track to outperform peers in Europe, he said.

Read More: Sunak Says Claims UK Heading for Austerity ‘Simply Unfounded’

Antisemitism and Elon Musk

Sunak chose his words carefully when asked whether he will follow US President Joe Biden’s office in criticizing tech entrepreneur Elon Musk for stoking the hatred of Jews on his X social media platform, saying he is denouncing antisemitism in all its guises.

“It doesn’t matter whether you’re Elon Musk or you’re someone on the street who’s shouting abuse at someone who happens to be walking past you,” he said. “I condemn antisemitism in all its forms.”

Musk faced a widespread backlash this month after he agreed with a post on X that falsely claimed Jewish people hold a “dialectical hatred’ of White people, saying the user was speaking “the actual truth.” Sunak shared a stage with Musk earlier in November at the UK’s AI Safety Summit in a discussion with the tech entrepreneur that lasted for nearly an hour.

Read More: Sunak Says He Abhors Antisemitism From Anyone, Including Musk

Keeping Election Options Open

Sunak didn’t want to comment on speculation that the UK will be heading to the polls in the first half of next year, an idea fueled by the fast-tracking of a payroll tax cut.

Sunak has to call an election by January 2025 at the latest, with his Tories lagging 19 points behind the main opposition Labour Party in a YouGov survey.

“I’m really just focused on delivering on the things that I said I would,” he said. “Really I’m not focused on elections.”

Read More: Sunak Says ‘Not Focused’ on UK Election, Won’t Discuss Timing

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