On Tuesday, October 24, Rishi Sunak was selected to become Britain’s 3rd Prime Minister of the year and therefore, the Leader of the British Conservative and Unionist Party as he was unopposed in this unprecedented race. This followed Liz Truss’ resignation from the same position after just 6 weeks in office – she had won the race just last month, on September 6 of this year, defeating Rishi Sunak, along with many other contenders.
Sunak’s main opposition for the most recent election was supposed to be Penny Mordaunt, Leader of the House of Commons, and Boris Johnson, former Prime Minister. However, just days after starting their campaigns, Johnson, Mordaunt, and other potential candidates decided that swift and decisive action was necessary to help Britain rebound from its failing situation, allowing Sunak to win unopposed. Furthermore, Sunak has had past experience with leading the country in times of hardship. He was first elected as the member of Parliament for Richmond in 2015. He later served as Chief Secretary to the Treasury from 2019 to 2020 and Chancellor of the Exchequer from 2020 to 2022.
Sunak’s victory marks many historical moments as he is the first prime minister of color, first British-Indian prime minister, and wealthiest Prime minister with a massive net worth of 730 million pounds ($830 million). His money primarily comes from his wife, Akshata Murty’s stake in her father’s company, Infosys along with their own business ventures and start-up incubators.
Truss was elected in early September, after her predecessor, Boris Johnson, resigned with an economy in shambles and increased public distrust in governmental authorities. Johnson is often blamed for not effectively taking care of Britain’s overwhelming economic problems and was caught and interrogated by his colleagues in Parliament for hosting parties during the Covid-19 pandemic, even though he himself had set restrictions and mandates on the rest of the British citizens to remain at home.
Truss found herself in a similar situation in terms of the economy. She had promised a plan that contained economic programs that would help Britain get back on track after inflation hit all-time highs at a staggering 10.1%, driven by high food prices. This plan, however, further demolished the country’s financial stability, resulting in even more poverty and an overall lower standard of living. This, in turn, led to what Reuters has called “the shortest, most chaotic tenure of any British prime minister.” As the new Prime Minister delivered his first speech earlier this week, Sunak requested the British people to learn from the past year’s incidents and look towards the future for economic and political success.
“This government will have integrity, professionalism and accountability at every level,” Sunak said. “Trust is earned. And I will earn yours. Together we can achieve incredible things. We will create a future worthy of the sacrifices so many have made and fill tomorrow, and everyday thereafter with hope.”
Sources:
KRISHNA MANO
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KRISHNA MANO#molongui-disabled-link
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KRISHNA MANO#molongui-disabled-link
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KRISHNA MANO#molongui-disabled-link
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KRISHNA MANO#molongui-disabled-link
[…] I had reported last week, British politics have taken many significant turns in the past few months, the most recent being […]