UK's Sunak says inflation, not tax cuts, are priority

British former finance minister Rishi Sunak said his first economic priority if he becomes prime minister will be tackling inflation, not the tax cuts pledged by some of his rivals in the race to replace Boris Johnson.

"I think our number one economic priority is to tackle inflation and not make it worse," Sunak told BBC radio on Thursday.

"I will get taxes down in this parliament but I'm going to do so responsibly, because I don't cut taxes to win elections, I win elections to cut taxes," he added.