Rishi Sunak has said that now is not the time for a general election, as he prepares to present his vision for the country in his set-piece conference address on Wednesday.
The Prime Minister embarked on a series of sit-down interviews in Manchester on Tuesday, amid ongoing questions about the fate of the northern leg of HS2.
Speaking to Sky News, he insisted that the public did not want a snap election amid questions about his personal mandate to take key decisions on issues such as the landmark rail project and net zero.
“That’s not what the country wants,” Mr Sunak said.
“I go out (and) about every day. That’s not what anybody wants. What people want is politicians making a difference to their lives.”
He said he was not afraid of an election.
“I’m just getting on and delivering for people. You can see that with net zero, you can see it with the number of boat crossings down this year by a fifth.
“You can see it with our progress on bringing inflation down, helping people. You can see it with a long term workforce plan, hiring doctors and nurses for the future.
“These are all things that are going to change our country for the better.”
A general election is expected next year, with a poll required to be held before the end of January 2025.
