Rishi Sunak has delivered his final speech at conference (Image: Sky News)
Rishi Sunak used his final conference speech as Conservative Party leader today to call on his party to unite behind its next leader and look to the future, but that did not stop him from aiming one last dig at Prime Minister Sir .
He delivered the farewell address much earlier than a party leader usually speaks at the conference, in order to allow the four remaining leadership candidates to dominate the rest of their Birmingham gathering.
In a semi-funereal address in the main hall, Mr Sunak thanked the party membership for their hard work during the election, promising they will be “central to us winning again”.
He described the election as “devastating”, and mourned the loss of “so many good ”.
However, there was an air of support in the room for the outgoing Tory leader, with an outbreak of cheers and whoops as he turned to his parting conclusion.
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Mr Sunak has now delivered his final ever conference speech (Image: Getty)
In his final plea to the party, Mr Sunak urged members and MPs to get behind the next party leader, and put a stop to the infighting and backstabbing that has plagued the past 7 years of Tory rule.
He told the room: “I have one final ask of you – whoever wins this contest, give them your backing”.
“We must end the division, the backbiting, the squabbling, we mustn’t nurse old grudges, but build new friendships.
“We must always remember what unites us rather than obsessing over where we might differ. Because when we turn in on ourselves, we lose and the country ends up with a Labour government.”
Despite the mournful mood of the speech, Mr Sunak did not shy away from digging the boot into Labour over Sir Keir’s scandal-ridden few weeks in power.
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Mr Sunak handed over the baton to his four potential successors (Image: Getty)
Mr Sunak opened by noting the “brilliant buzz” at conference this year, adding: “It’s such a hot ticket I’m surprised hasn’t asked someone to buy him one”.
He also joked: “We know that socialists always run out of other people’s money – something Lord Alli is finding out the hard way!”
In a final quip, he added: “We don’t need somebody else to buy you a pair of designer glasses to see that the shine is coming off already!”
He also used the speech to recall the party’s long list of achievements in government, paying tribute to his predecessors by first name, and a number of senior cabinet ministers.
He thanked David Cameron for fixing the economy and getting debt down, so that when hit the country had the cash to fund the swathe of welfare packages necessary to protect the public.
He thanked the last 14-years-worth of Home Secretaries including Theresa May for helping to halve crime.
He gave a shout-out to for getting done, signing new trade deals around the world and using our freedoms to become the world’s fourth-largest exporter.
Among the other achievements included cutting the country’s carbon emissions more than any other country, getting four million more people into work, leading the world in drumming up support for , rolling out the fastest vaccine programme of any country, and standing up for older voters with the and winter fuel allowance.
He concluded: “If you want a party to deter our enemies, defend our values, and stand up for our interests, then that party is the Conservative Party!”
In a stunning reversal of fortunes, a poll on Saturday night revealed that Mr Sunak is now five points more popular than Sir .