Before moving a single box into 10 Downing Street, incoming prime minister Rishi Sunak has already made significant history that should be celebrated.
He is the first person of colour to hold the position, as well as the first Hindu. At 42, he is the youngest UK leader to come into power since 1783, and has also made the fastest journey from MP to PM in the modern era.
No matter the length of time Mr Sunak spends in the top job, his tenure will remain important and meaningful for generations to come, signifying a glass ceiling vanquished, and a significant step forward for equality.
Nonetheless, he also has an opportunity to make his stint as leader memorable for another reason, if he can provide an antidote to the chaos that has engulfed the country since Boris Johnson became PM.
To get back on track, now is the moment for calm and rationality; good choices, even if some may require tough decisions
Britain has been reduced to a laughing stock in the eyes of the rest of the world, and it is no wonder. Thanks to rash and unpredictable governance, this nation ceased to be a safe or remotely sensible bet some time ago.
To get back on track, now is the moment for calm and rationality; good choices, even if some may require tough decisions.
Sunak must call early election
One such tricky but urgent decision involves a vote the Conservatives are not guaranteed to win. Initial reports indicate that Mr Sunak will not call an early general election, but it would undoubtedly be in the best interests of voters, the divided Conservative Party and the new prime minister himself to set a date.
That is not to say he cannot prove himself a worthy leader in the interim, though his greatest test comes at a remarkably difficult time in politics. And, of course, Mr Sunak’s own past actions as chancellor contributed to the bulging in tray he now has to contend with.
Calls for an election will not stop, and clinging on to power until the last possible moment appears increasingly self-serving to those looking on.
Exposed like never before, at the head of the pack, the PM must attempt to unite his party and deliver for the country.
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