Great Britain has gone through a difficult 12 months and the problems will not disappear in 2023, but the coronation of King Charles III will help to unite the country, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said today in his New Year's address.
Sunak said that the UK had suffered "severe economic consequences" this year due to the war in Ukraine.
He added that his government had taken "difficult but fair decisions to bring debt under control" and help Britons deal with a financial crisis caused by skyrocketing prices.
Sunak did not talk about the political crisis in the country this year. Former prime minister Boris Johnson resigned in July after a series of scandals, and his successor Liz Truss resigned after less than two months in office.
The economic and political situation has calmed down, but Sunak still has to deal with the economic slowdown, labor strikes and problems in the Conservative Party, which is losing popular support after 12 years in power.
"I'm not going to pretend that all our problems will go away in the new year," he said, adding that Britain would "proudly unite" in everything that makes the country great at Charles III's coronation ceremony.
Charles became king immediately after the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II on September 8.
He will be officially crowned at Westminster Abbey in London on May 6.
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