Rishi Sunak: when is UK’s new Prime Minister’s first press conference - what will he say?

Rishi Sunak has been chosen as the UK’s next Prime Minister after winning the Conservative leadership election.

The former Chancellor was named as the successor to Liz Truss after his closest opponent Penny Mordaunt dropped out of the race shortly before the ballot was announced. He will be the UK’s third Prime Minister in only two months.

All attention has turned to Sunak, who previously ran against Truss in the summer leadership election. The autumn election has passed much quicker, with the new leader being chosen within a matter of days.

As a result, the British public are awaiting word from their new Prime Minister, who has remained somewhat tight-lipped over the past few days. Here’s when we can expect Sunak’s first address.

When will Rishi Sunak address MPs?

Rishi Sunak was confirmed to have won the Conservative leadership election just after 2pm on 24 October. The announcement was made at a meeting of the 1922 Committee, with chair Sir Graham Brady announcing Sunak as the new Prime Minister.

Sunak addressed his fellow MPs as party leader and Prime Minister for the first time at around 2.30pm. He spoke to his party colleagues behind closed doors in a packed Commons committee room, while also reportedly ignoring questions form the press as he arrived to give his address.

Labour deputy leader Angela Raynor has accused the new Prime Minister of “already putting party before country” by chosing to first address MPs in private, as opposed to speaking to the public.

According to MPs who were present in the committee room, Sunak told his colleagues: “We have one chance. It is unite or die.” One MP added that Sunak’s address was the “best leader’s speech at the 1922 committee I have heard in 30 years at Westminster”.

Will there be a Rishi Sunak press conference?

We should expect at some point an address to the wider public. This is likely to be in front of the lectern at Downing Street.

However, the timing for this has not yet been confirmed. This could happen later today (24 October) or the following day.

Sunak is likely to make announcements surrounding his cabinet appointments from Tuesday onwards, and therefore a statement may be more likely on this day. This is due to him first meeting the King, where the monarch will formally ask him to form a government.

The King is expected to travel back to London from Sandringham today. However, royal sources expect that the monarch will not hold audiences with either Truss or Sunak until Tuesday at the earliest.