Only Boris Johnson has spoken for longer at the start of a premiership.
25 October 2022
Rishi Sunak’s first speech as Prime Minister was one of longest delivered in Downing Street by a newly appointed prime minister in recent decades.
He spoke for five minutes and 56 seconds – longer than the time taken by nearly all of his predecessors when they made similar remarks at the start of their premiership.
The one exception is Boris Johnson, who spoke for 11 minutes and 13 seconds in Downing Street after being appointed prime minister in 2019.
Mr Sunak spoke for almost two minutes longer than Liz Truss, who took four minutes and four seconds to deliver her first speech in September 2022.
His speech also outran that of Theresa May in 2016 (four minutes and 42 seconds), David Cameron in 2010 (four minutes exactly), Gordon Brown in 2007 (two minutes and 49 seconds), Tony Blair in 1997 (five minutes and 17 seconds) and John Major in 1990 (two minutes and 49 seconds).
