Beth Rigby laying into Rishi Sunak is pure gold

Rishi Sunak delivered his first speech in 2023 where he set out "people's priorities", which the prime minister said voters should judge him on at the next election.

These five promises include halving inflation, growing the economy, reducing debt, cutting NHS waiting lists and preventing migrant boats from reaching the UK.

After his keynote speech, a Q&A session with the press followed - and Sky News political editor Beth Rigby didn't hold back in describing the current challenges our country faces before questioning whether the public should trust that Sunak and the Conservatives are up for the job.

Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter

"In the real world, you can't get a train, you can't get a doctor's appointment, nurses are going to food banks and when you do dial 999 you can't be sure that an ambulance is going to get there in time to save your loved one," Rigby said.

"That's the reality of Britain in 2023, and now you're here giving people more promises about how you might change the country that they've heard many times before during 13 years of Conservative rule."

Rigby then concluded with a question for Sunak, saying: "My question really is, why should the public believe you're any different to any of your predecessors?"

Viewers have since praised Rigby for her strong line of questioning, and holding Sunak to account.

Football pundit and former Manchester United player, Gary Neville appeared to direct his followers to Rigby's exchange with the PM.

Gary Neville reshared Rigby's robust line of questioning on Twitter Twitter/GNev2

Many praised Rigby for her tough questioning of PM Rishi Sunak Twitter/dioaks

Many praised Rigby for her tough questioning of PM Rishi Sunak Twitter/PersistentWorld

Many praised Rigby for her tough questioning of PM Rishi Sunak Twitter/DonChampionTV

Many praised Rigby for her tough questioning of PM Rishi Sunak Twitter/blondsteve

"Well Beth, the country has seen me before in the job before through difficult times," Sunak responded.

"They saw me as Chancellor during Covid - most of them probably didn't know who I was until I appeared on that press conference on their TV screens."

He added: "I'm proud of the record I have as Chancellor, I think we moved at enormous speeds and with competence to actually deliver interventions that made a difference to people's lives, that saved their jobs, that protected their businesses and so people can trust that when I say I'm going to do something, I am going to do it."

Sunak then referred to the five "unambiguous" and "very simple" promises he pledged in his speech.

"The country's priorities are my priorities, I want to be held accountable for them," he said, and added that "there's no tricks, people will know whether I'm delivering."

Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.