Indian descent British MP Rishi Sunak was on Monday chosen by the Conservative Party to be Britain’s next Prime Minister, replacing Liz Truss, who resigned last week. Two months ago, Sunak had lost the race to the UK premiership to Truss.
Oct 25, 2022
By: eetika.kapoor@timesinternet.in
Credit: Wikipedia
He will be the first Indian-origin and youngest PM of Britain in over 200 years. He was the first cabinet minister to use the Bhagavad Gita to take his oath. He is the richest British Prime Minister, having more wealth than King Charles, when combined with his wife’s.
Credit: bccl
Sunak will take oath as Britain’s prime minister after meeting King Charles on Tuesday. He will be the country’s third prime minister this year.
Credit: Sunak's Twitter
A poll last week had said 55 percent of Tories would vote for Sunak, dubbing it as “buyer’s remorse”. Rival Conservative candidate Penny Mordaunt stepped out of the race minutes before the result was announced. Sunak was elected unopposed on Diwali.
Credit: bccl
Sunak was defeated by Liz Truss the last time he contested for the position of UK PM. His campaign “Ready for Rishi” had focused on business tax reforms, tackling illegal immigration and making UK streets safer.
Credit: Sunak's Twitter
His wife Akshata Murty was attacked for non-payment of taxes on her overseas income due to her non-domiciled status. Murty later said she would start paying UK taxes.
Credit: BCCL
Rishi Sunak was born in 1980 in Southampton to African Hindu Indian parents Yashvir and Usha Sunak. He is the oldest of three siblings. His father was a general practitioner and his mother ran her own pharmacy.
Credit: wikipedia
Sunak attended an independent boarding school, Winchester College. He studied politics, philosophy and economics at Oxford University and later went to Stanford for an MBA. Growing up he wanted to be a ‘Jedi’, from Star Wars.
Credit: Sunak's Twitter
Sunak married Akshata Murty, the daughter of Indian billionaire and Infosys founder N R Narayana Murthy in 2009. The couple met at Stanford University and have two daughters.
Credit: BCCL
From 2001 to 2004, he worked at investment bank Goldman Sachs. Later, he was a partner at two hedge funds.
Credit: BCCL
He entered the parliament in 2015, serving as MP for Richmond in North Yorkshire. He was promoted as chancellor to the exchequer in February 2020.
Credit: BCCL
Sunak has spoken about suffering racist abuse during childhood. “Racism stings in a way that very few other things have,” he told Sky News.
Credit: Sunak's Twitter
He sometimes works out to Britney Spears music and has other quirks. He has one double chocolate muffin everyday and even got seven fillings done due to his excessive consumption of Coca-cola as a child. He is also a die-hard fan of Star Wars.