‘I will unite our country’

Rishi Sunak yesterday became Britain's third prime minister this year and the first person of colour to lead the former imperial power, vowing to lead the country out of a profound economic crisis and rebuild trust in politics.

Sunak addressed the nation outside 10 Downing Street after his appointment by King Charles III, capping the latest extraordinary twist in UK politics following Boris Johnson's demise in July.

"I will unite our country -- not with words, but with action," the former finance minister said, pledging also unstinting support for Ukraine even while warning of "difficult" budget choices ahead.

Sunak said a disastrous budget that felled Truss was motivated by a well-intentioned desire to kick-start growth, but its tax-cutting measures were "mistakes nonetheless".

"And I have been elected as leader of my party and your prime minister in part to fix them," he said. "And that work begins immediately. I will place economic stability and confidence at the heart of this government's agenda."

Departing Downing Street shortly before, Truss wished Sunak "every success" -- and said she remained "more convinced than ever" that Britain needed to be "bold" in confronting the challenges it faced.

Sunak became the ruling Conservatives' new leader on Monday after triumphing over rival contender Penny Mordaunt, who failed to secure enough nominations from Tory MPs.

It had become a two-way fight after Johnson dramatically aborted a comeback attempt late Sunday, having failed to persuade Sunak to share power.

Breaking his silence, Johnson offered his "full and wholehearted support" to Sunak -- having blamed his ex-minister for toppling him in July, reports AFP.

Sunak, a Hindu, is the first British-Indian prime minister and, at 42, the youngest leader in more than two centuries.

US President Joe Biden called the choice "groundbreaking". France's Emmanuel Macron tweeted that "together we will continue working to tackle the challenges of the moment, including the war in Ukraine and its many consequences for Europe and the world".

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina greeted Sunak, saying she was looking forward to working closely with him in further strengthening "our long-standing political, economic, and strategic partnerships", reports UNB.

After delivering the now all-too-familiar new leader's speech, Sunak started appointing his top team before facing his first session of "Prime Minister's Questions" in parliament today.

He retained several senior ministers from predecessor Liz Truss's top team, including Jeremy Hunt as finance minister, as he bids for a stable transition.

Sunak kept James Cleverly as foreign secretary and Ben Wallace in defence, despite them both backing an aborted comeback by ex-leader Johnson.

In an astonishing return just days after she quit Truss's cabinet, he re-appointed hardline right-winger Suella Braverman as interior minister, in charge of policing and immigration control.

Sunak also kept his most recent leadership rival Penny Mordaunt as Leader of the House of Commons.

The appointments appear aimed at signalling continuity in top portfolios after the dramatic upheavals seen under Truss.