Sunak’s Thatcherite gamble: Cancels HS2, bans smoking, overhauls education

In a major pre-election policy blitz, Chancellor Rishi Sunak has unveiled a series of radical plans to “change“ Britain like Margaret Thatcher did. In a speech to the Conservative Party conference in Manchester, Sunak announced that he would be cancelling the controversial HS2 high-speed rail project, saving the taxpayer £36 billion. He also unveiled a rolling smoking ban, which would see smoking banned in all public places within 10 years. Sunak also announced plans to overhaul the education system, with a focus on vocational training and apprenticeships. He said that he wanted to create a “more skilled workforce“ that would help to boost the economy. In a further sign of his determination to take on vested interests, Sunak said that he would be “stopping the boats“ and cracking down on illegal immigration. He said that he would be introducing a new “points-based system“ for immigration, which would give priority to skilled workers. Sun