Thanks to Brexit, we are now a free nation. But let’s not just talk about the opportunities that follow: let’s take them. If a young boy who came here aged 11 without a word of English, can serve at the highest levels of Her Majesty’s Government and run to be the next Prime Minister, anything is possible.

The burden of tax is simply too high. As an entrepreneur and businessman, I know that lower taxes are how we create a thriving and dynamic economy. Taxes for individuals, families and business need to be lower – and will be on my watch.

Having been born in Iraq and fled the dangers of Saddam, I know that security, safety and freedom are things that we can never take for granted. That’s why defence spending needs to rise in response to the barbarism of Putin’s war in Ukraine. I will always put the defence of the nation first.

I will continue my education reforms that are improving schools across the country, keep pushing our schools revolution and deliver a great education for every child. I will also continue to focus on letting children be children, protecting them from damaging and inappropriate nonsense being forced on them by radical activists.

We, as Conservatives, must trust Britons to do what is best for themselves. Overseeing the highest tax burden since 1949 is not the Conservative way. We cannot tax our way into prosperity. I will guarantee that the next generation will be afforded the best education possible. Combined, this will begin the journey towards hope. A more prosperous nation, one which can provide the best opportunities to its next generation. A nation where your only ceiling is yourself – not the state, or society. The only thing that can hold you back is the limits of your imagination. We know it is not Labour or the Lib Dems who offer the country solutions. The only solution can be empowering the British people, regardless of where they live or where they come from; what matters is where we are going. I will be talking more about my vision for our party and the country in the next few days and weeks – but for now, there is work to be done.

This is an edited extract from a speech that Zahawi is due to deliver on Monday