Rishi Sunak has admitted that his controversial “stop the boats” slogan was overly simplistic, saying he regrets using the phrase during his time as prime minister. Reflecting on his tenure, Sunak acknowledged that while tackling illegal migration was a priority, the messaging “wasn’t quite right.”
The former prime minister, who led the Conservative Party to one of its worst electoral defeats in history, shared his reflections on the Political Thinking podcast. Sunak maintained that cracking down on Channel crossings was the right approach but conceded that the way the policy was communicated lacked nuance. “I probably should have put those priorities … in a better context for exactly how challenging it was,” he admitted.
Sunak’s remarks come as he reassesses his political legacy after stepping down in July 2024. His handling of illegal migration was one of the defining aspects of his premiership, with the “stop the boats” slogan becoming a key feature of his policy agenda. However, the former prime minister now believes the phrase was “too stark … too binary.”
He emphasized that fairness remains central to British values. “Our generosity is limitless, and our compassion is limitless, but our resources are not. It’s just fundamentally unfair, and fairness is central to our national character,” he said. He argued that uncontrolled illegal migration undermines the sense of fairness upon which society is built.
Sunak also addressed the controversy surrounding his identity. The debate was sparked by a recent discussion featuring Fraser Nelson, and podcast host Konstantin Kisin, who questioned whether Sunak could be considered English due to his background.
“Of course I’m English. I found the whole thing slightly ridiculous.”
Rishi Sunak
Similarly, Shadow Foreign Secretary Priti Patel, who has Indian heritage, weighed in on the debate, “I do consider myself English, and I’m an Essex MP, so I do frequently say The Only Way is Essex.”
Defending the Timing of the General Election
Sunak also rejected claims that he called an early general election in a rushed decision. He explained that he had carefully considered the timing and had been contemplating it for a while.
Sunak argued that delaying the election by three months would not have significantly changed the outcome. He acknowledged that implementing new policies or making major changes to welfare spending would have required a fresh mandate from voters.
“I think getting the Rwanda scheme up and running was going to be hard, and I think it would have required a mandate. Similarly, tax and spend, we’ve been having these conversations, I wanted to do quite radical things, whether on welfare spending or others, and I think those would have been hard to do without a mandate.”
Rishi Sunak
Despite his election defeat, Sunak remains optimistic about the future. He expressed his support for his successor, Kemi Badenoch, stating that he would back her if she decided to withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights.
He also indicated that he would favor cutting welfare spending to increase the defense budget. “I think, quite frankly, that is the most important thing for the country to do next, so that we can fund defense adequately,” he said. Sunak, now out of office, is looking forward to new opportunities beyond politics.
“I’m 44, I’ve got years ahead of me, and I don’t want being prime minister to be the only thing that defines me professionally. I think I’ve got plenty more to contribute.”
Rishi Sunak
As such, Sunak’s reflections highlight the complexities of political messaging, national identity, and governance, offering insight into his leadership lessons and the challenges shaping the future of British politics.
