"Things are worse than we ever imagined," the Prime Minister said, stressing that the Office for Budget Responsibility had been unaware of a £22 billion hole in the public finances, "because the last government hid it".
The PM delivered a speech from a lectern with the words "Fixing the foundations", likening his task in clearing out "14 years of rot" under the Conservatives to the way that communities rallied round to clean up the mess left by far-Right rioters in a spasm of unrest this month.
He said it was "disgraceful" that the Conservatives had left so few spaces in the prison system, adding he felt "shocked" to have to pore over lists of spare capacity to detain convicted rioters after Rishi Sunak's government declined to build more jails.
He was speaking to the press and about 50 invited members of the public, including emergency workers, apprentices and small business owners, in the rose garden of No 10.
Denne historien er fra August 27, 2024-utgaven av Evening Standard.
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Denne historien er fra August 27, 2024-utgaven av Evening Standard.
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Vamos Rafa! It's time to go for Spain's brave warrior
'Shy and funny' Nadal bows out as sport's ultimate competitor
Does Angeball have a winning future at Spurs?
Head coach divides supporters with his ultra-attacking tactics
The £5bn-a-year tax timebomb that's set to devastate London hospitality
The capital will bear the brunt of Rachel Reeves’s National Insurance raid
Live like a Queen...
...in the house gifted to Anne of Cleves by Henry VIII in 1540 and now onsale for 3.75 million
At home with...Matthew Williamson
The designer’s Belsize Park flatis a grand canvas for his ever-changing colour palette
Hidden London
The first time I made my way to Maison Assouline was with a broken foot, in a tragic boot and crutches.
Jameela Jamil on why New York will always have her heart...
..and her stomach. The actor and activist shares her favourite brunch spot, a secret bar and her brownstone fantasies
My life in bespoke suits
Back in the Eighties, suits were so wide that even the shoulder pads had shoulder pads. Suits back then were boxy, square, and designed to make you look like a quarterback, a bouncer or a tank.
Cher's wild world
The singer's memoir is full of jaw-dropping tales
'I was told I could stay in the UKthen kicked out of my asylum accommodation'
As our appeal hits 1m, we turn the spotlight on an official policy that’s making newly recognised refugees homeless