The speech Truss should have made.

It has been a huge honour to serve as your Prime Minister.?

As I leave this role after just 44 days, I feel I owe the country an honest assessment of my time in charge.

As I reflect on this brief period in Downing Street, I would like to apologise to the country. With truthful reflection, I must say that my time here has not been a success.?

I could spend this time listing my achievements during my 44 days as prime minister. But what use would that be to you at home?

You, the people of Britain, who are worrying about the state of your country. The state of your finances. The state of your future.

A far better use of my time here is to apologise.

It would be wrong for me to say that ‘mistakes were made’. Rather, I made mistakes.?

Yes, I have a team around me, an entire government. But as prime minister, rather than only taking personal credit when things go right, I must also take personal responsibility for the dramatic failures of my leadership.?

My mini-budget caused markets to crash .?

I caused the pound to fall to its lowest ever level against the dollar.?

I dramatically increased costs and caused significant financial suffering for millions of families.?

Rather than searching for excuses, I offer you my sincere apologies. I take full responsibility for these failures. I am sorry for having fallen short.

As I think of the last few weeks, I’ve found myself contemplating how it might feel for those who are less fortunate than I and my colleagues. It’s time I honoured and acknowledged real people, not just anonymous ‘hardworking families’.?

The single mother who had her mortgage repayments doubled and is struggling to afford the weekly food shop. The nurse skipping meals and turning down the heating. The delivery driver working three jobs to make ends meet.

To these people and the millions of others, I must say I am truly sorry.

I must say that admitting my failures is not easy. And yet I have come to realise it is also the mark of a truly honest and courageous leader. Like anyone, I am not perfect - I acknowledge this not as an excuse but as a moment to learn.

If the last few weeks and months have taught me anything, it is that this country needs more radical honesty if it is to change. I would like to start that process now.

First, whilst I believe in lower taxes, I must also say that this would also require a significant reduction in spending on public services for everyone. This is therefore a choice between lower taxes and increasing privatisation, or higher taxes and better public services for everyone.?

Second, our democratic processes are being abused and circumvented, and I have taken advantage of this. Democracies must be able to deliver for their own people. In autocracies, power lies in the hands of a few and I’m afraid to say that is also true in this country. This needs to change.?

Third, my approach and that of my party has been adversarial and corrosive. We have sought division rather than unity, and misdirection rather than truth. We have used soundbites such as ‘anti-growth coalition’ and culture wars to blame a perennial ‘other’ for the struggles of this nation. We have blamed immigrants, the EU, activists, unions, judges, journalists and many others for our own failings.?

It’s easy to find an enemy to blame for the current state of our country. But creating enemies only creates hate and division. When what the country needs right now is unity.?

And not just a Conservative Party unity. A country-wide unity where people genuinely feel connected and part of something positive. And this starts with the top.

So rather than attacking and blaming and dividing, I reach out to not just the next prime minister, but also the opposition. What is needed in our politics and our leadership is that C-word that we avoid: coalition.?

A type of coalition that holds each other to account and restores the standards that are essential in our highest office and throughout Westminster.?

As the Roman philosopher Seneca wrote, we need to set our morals by some “good man and keep him constantly before our eyes so that we may live as if he were watching us and do everything as if he saw what we were doing.”

These are the standards we must set and keep as leaders of this nation. As I step back from this office, like that other Roman, Cincinnatus, I will be taking the time in my retreat to reflect on the lessons I must learn. Unlike Cincinnatus, I will not seek a return - he was, after all, a dictator who viewed the citizens as his inferiors.

I wish Rishi Sunak the best with his leadership, and I hope that he will learn fully from my mistakes.?

Most of all, I wish you, the people of this country, my sincere wishes for the challenging and difficult times that lie ahead of us.?

May you one day forgive my part in this maelstrom.