Rishi Sunak will be next British Prime Minister

Rishi Sunak Photo: Twitter

London: Seven weeks after losing the race to become the Conservative party leader and Prime Minister of the UK, Rishi Sunak, 42, was on Monday set to take over the top post.

He will formally take over as Prime Minister on Tuesday morning after meeting King Charles.

Sunak will be the first South Asian prime minister of the UK and the youngest since Lord Liverpool came to office in 1812.

Sunak, who had thrown his hat in the ring again after Liz Truss’s sudden resignation – barely a month and a half after she had defeated him in the contest to succeed Boris Johnson – was on Monday the only contestant to replace her after rival Penny Mordaunt dropped out, due to lack of necessary support.

Scottish Conservatives leader Douglas Ross said: “Our country – like others around the world – faces tough economic challenges.

“Against that backdrop, it’s important that we have someone at the helm with a proven track record in running the nation’s finances, who can provide economic stability and reassurance to the markets.”

SUNAK is the UK-born son of a pharmacist mother and a National Health Service (NHS) general practitioner father.

The Oxford University and Stanford MBA graduate co-founded a 1-billion-pound global investment firm and specialized in investing in small British businesses before his entry to the British Parliament in the 2015 general election.

Sunak’s wife is Indian, Akshata Murthy, a businesswoman who is also the daughter of N.R. Narayana Murthy, one of the founders of the Bengaluru-based Infosys.

The couple has two daughters.

Sunak was elected a member of parliament from the rural seat of Richmond in Yorkshire in 2015.

Prime Minister Theresa May appointed him parliamentary under-secretary of state for local government in January 2018.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson appointed him chief secretary to the treasury in July 2019, and promoted him to cabinet as chancellor of the exchequer in February 2020.

In July 2022, Sunak resigned from the government citing differences on policy with the prime minister, thereby hastening Johnson’s downfall.

 

INDIAN Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted: “Warmest congratulations @RishiSunak! As you become UK PM, I look forward to working closely together on global issues, and implementing Roadmap 2030. Special Diwali wishes to the ‘living bridge’ of UK Indians, as we transform our historic ties into a modern partnership.”

 

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