“I do recall on certain occasions I said things which were just me being a bit jokey. People were either offended or think I’m not taking them seriously. “And so that is something I have worked on and now I am very careful about how I use my words, especially in parliament at the dispatch box, especially [in] the media.” She added that it is important for politicians to “present a seriousness to the public” so that people know they are “on their side and that it is not just something we are doing for ourselves or for a bit of a laugh”.
Rishi Sunak: Less of a perfectionist
Mr Sunak was up next, with a textbook response that he needs to learn to be less of a perfectionist. “Most people know I probably have a reputation for working hard and getting across the details,” he said. “I think you’ve got to make sure that in these jobs, especially the more senior you get, that you don’t let perfect be the enemy of the good. “Part of what I’ve had to do over the time, and I am constantly working at, is getting that balance right between being across the detail and understanding every aspect of things, and realising I know as much or I’ve done as much as I need to on that and my time is better spent elsewhere.” Liz Truss came next, arguing that her greatest weakness was her abundance of enthusiasm. “I think in the past it’s fair to say that I have sometimes been excessively overenthusiastic, and sometimes I have to rein myself in and try to do a bit less and make sure that we are 100 per cent focused,” she said.
