British finance minister Rishi Sunak on Monday denied he was eyeing the job of his beleaguered boss, Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and vowed to uphold his “sacred responsibility” of rebalancing the books after a splurge of coronavirus spending.

The 40-year-old Indian-origin chancellor of the exchequer is being portrayed as a leader-in-waiting by some Conservative lawmakers and right-wing commentators, after resisting stricter curbs on public life to counter the Covid-19 crisis.

He told the Conservative party’s annual conference on Monday that the “overwhelming might of the British state” will be deployed to deal with the Covid-19 crisis and kickstart the ailing economy.

Riding a crest of popularity among party members – the latest ConservativeHome survey places him at the top of the ‘cabinet league table’ – Sunak listed several multi-billion-pound schemes he had announced to help employees, companies and the self-employed.

But when asked at a side event if he wanted the keys to Number 10 Downing Street, Sunak said: “Oh God. No. Definitely not, seeing what the prime minister has to deal with.”

“It’s a job hard enough for me to do,” Sunak said, chuckling, asked whether he was looking to move next door from the chancellor’s residence at 11 Downing Street.

“I think he and I are personally close,” Sunak said, and confirmed Johnson called him “Rish”.

When asked what he called Johnson, Sunak said: “I call him prime minister. He keeps trying to tell me to call him other things… but I just stick with PM.”

At the conference, Sunak downplayed any rift with Johnson, while acknowledging the “difficult trade-offs and decisions” forced upon the government as Britain endures the worst pandemic toll in Europe.

On the coronavirus crisis, he told his audience: “(We) are only part way through this crisis. What began in March as a health emergency has grown and now reaches deep into our economy and society. Not only does it endanger lives, but jobs and education. It separates friends and family”.

“I am committing myself to a single priority – to create, support and extend opportunity to as many people as I can. Because even if this moment is more difficult than any you have ever faced, even if it feels like there is no hope, I am telling you that there is, and that the overwhelming might of the British state will be placed at your service”.

As of Sunday night, the UK had registered 502,978 cases and 42,350 deaths (including 813 patients categorised as ‘Indian’ in England). Technical issues about recording new cases have surfaced in recent days, but officials said these have now been resolved.

Sunak admitted that borrowing to fund support schemes would challenge future budget exercises, and cautioned that hard choices would need to be made to balance the books, indicating that tax rises could be one of the ways of dealing with deficits.

He said: “We have a sacred responsibility to future generations to leave the public finances strong, and through careful management of our economy, this Conservative government will always balance the books”.

“If instead we argue there is no limit on what we can spend, that we can simply borrow our way out of any hole, what is the point in us? I have never pretended there is some easy cost-free answer. Hard choices are everywhere. I won’t stop trying to find ways to support people and businesses”, he added.

(With inputs from Agencies)