Rishi Sunak has finished taking questions from the media after what our political correspondent Tamara Cohen described as "the launch of a soft election campaign".

Tamara says the event this morning was an attempt to frame the debate for whenever the election comes, although the prime minister is still reluctant to tell us when that will finally be.

He wants to make it a "referendum on security", she says.

Rishi Sunak "hasn't concentrated that much on foreign affairs since he became PM", she notes, with the priorities he set out previously having been domestic issues.

So it's quite the pivot to now be talking quite so much about the overseas threats facing the country - the key message of this event.

His pitch is that "only his party can keep the country safe at a time of global threats", pointing to Sir Keir Starmer's previous support of Jeremy Corbyn and a commitment by the Tories to increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP.

One journalist asked Rishi Sunak if his pitch around the UK's security was essentially "better the devil you know" - and his simple answer, as Tamara says, was yes.

Turning to the Ukraine war, Rishi Sunak is asked if the West is willing to do a deal with Russia to end it. 

The prime minister skirts the question, instead focusing on the UK's support for Ukraine, including its supply of tanks and long-range weapons. 

"An investment is Ukraine's security is an investment in our security," he adds. 

"Our NATO allies in Eastern Europe are already worried."

Taking a jab at Sir Keir Starmer, he says the Labour leader cannot say to the UK's American allies that his party will invest more in "our own security". 

Get the latest on the Ukraine war in our dedicated live blog:

Sky political editor Beth Rigby asks why Rishi Sunak says he cannot be prime minister.

She bases this assumption on Mr Sunak saying the polls are pointing to a hung parliament - where a coalition would be needed to be in power - while also ruling out doing an agreement with any other parties.

Mr Sunak says he does not understand the question - but that he was pointing to independent analysis.

He goes on to say the choice at the general election will be "clear" - it's the future versus the past.

The prime minister then claims the Conservatives - who have been in power for 14 years - are the future.

"It is only us, it is only me that have the bold ideas and the clear plan that will deliver a secure future for the country," Mr Sunak says.

Rishi Sunak is asked if he will rule out calling a general election in July - and he refuses to go into any detail, saying it's always been his "working assumption" that it will take place in the second half of the year.

When the time comes, he says, he'll be willing to debate Sir Keir Starmer "as many times as he would like". 

"I'm being very clear, I think this is the most dangerous and transformational time that our country has experienced in generations," the prime minister adds. 

"That's a choice for the election. That's a substance we should be debating."

ITV asks the prime minister why he is asking voters to ignore past issues like the turnover of prime ministers, "trauma" in the health service and economic "chaos".

He is also asked if it's "good riddance" to Natalie Elphicke.

The prime minister admits that not everything has "been perfect" - and then also blames global shocks for some of the issues.

On Ms Elphicke, Mr Sunak turns it around to make it about Sir Keir Starmer.

"It just tells you that you can't trust what the guy says," Mr Sunak says.

"And if you're trying to be everything to everyone, fundamentally, you don't stand for anything.

"And I think that will be increasingly clear to people."

After the end of Rishi Sunak's speech - and a lengthy round of applause - we move on to a Q&A.

The Sun asks Rishi Sunak why defence spending is only being uplifted now, when it was higher in 2010.

This is put in contrast with Mr Sunak's speech today, and he is asked if the uplift is happening too late.

Responding, the prime minister says he "completely reject the premise" of the question.

He claims the government was "bankrupt" in 2010 after the last Labour stretch in power, and "tough choices" had to be made.

Mr Sunak says he "thanks" his predecessors for making such difficult decisions.

He attacks Labour - saying he does not believe they would have made the same choice he did.

The prime minister also attacks Sir Keir Starmer for his support of Jeremy Corbyn.

Rishi Sunak turns to the Conservatives' "smoke-free generation" now, saying the decision to create it was made to prevent lung cancer. 

"With huge breakthroughs in early diagnosis, and new treatments, I believe we can be just as bold and ambitious in improving rates of cancer survival," he says. 

The prime minister says his party could make a "generational breakthrough" when it comes to treating the disease and "fundamentally change" what it will mean for future generations to "hear the word cancer". 

Rishi Sunak concedes his plan to make all students continue with maths until 18 will "not win universal acclaim".

But he says numeracy will be "fundamental to our children's life chances in this new technological age".

And providing this education to the next generation is the "duty" of those in power.

Mr Sunak adds he will also end "rip-off degrees" and "massively expand the number of apprenticeships because a degree is not the only path to success in the modern economy".

He also reiterates his commitment to providing funding to people to retrain as adults because education "won't stop when you walk out of the school gates".

The Conservatives will "protect" the UK against illegal migration, says Rishi Sunak, as he warns "tinkering just won't work". 

He names the Rwanda scheme as one way the government is tackling the issue, saying illegal migrants will be "swiftly detained and removed". 

In a strong statement on the European Convention on Human Rights, he says the international framework is "outdated" and there could be "flash points ahead". 

"If the Strasbourg court makes me choose between the ECHR and this country's security, I will choose our country's security every single time," the prime minister adds. 

His statement is met by a round of applause from the Policy Exchange audience. 

"I'm unapologetically proud of who we are," he says. 

Rishi Sunak dives into political attacks on the Labour leadership.

He uses the defection of Natalie Elphicke - who was on the right of the Tory party - to attack Sir Keir Starmer.

The prime minister says Sir Keir has "gone from embracing Jeremy Corbyn to Natalie Elphicke - all in the cynical pursuit of power".

This shows the Labour leader has "no principles".

He dismisses what he claims Labour is saying - that "all the worries you have are because of 14 years of Conservative government".

This is "just not true", he says, pointing to achievements like the economy growing and there being more jobs.

He also points to the way he has run the economy, which has required "difficult decisions".