Explained: Who is Rishi Sunak, the Indian-origin leader campaigning to become UK’s PM? | Explained News,The Indian Express
Rishi Sunak announced his bid to become the UK’s next Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party on Friday, a day after Prime Minister Boris Johnson's said he would resign from his post.
Former chancellor Rishi Sunak announced his bid to become the UK’s next Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party on Friday (July 8). He kicked off his campaign with the release of a slick video on social media, where he emphasized his Indian heritage and that his “family is everything” to him.
The Indian-origin Tory leader said he wanted to “restore trust, rebuild the economy and reunite the country”, and stressed the age old-conservative values of “patriotism, fairness, hard work.”
Sunak’s bid comes after a tumultuous week in the UK that culminated with Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s resignation on Thursday, a day before Sunak’s announcement. Johnson, who had consistently refused to leave despite growing criticisms from his own party, was forced to exit after more than 50 ministers left their government posts. The spree of resignations began with the sudden exit of two senior-most ministers, Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid, who left the cabinet on July 5.
After exiting his post as Chancellor of the Exchequer (or Finance Minister), Sunak wrote in his resignation letter that “the public rightly expect government to be conducted properly, competently and seriously”. He added, “I believe these standards are worth fighting for and that is why I am resigning.”
The 42-year-old Tory MP was born in the UK’s Southampton to Indian-origin parents. His father was a general practitioner for the National Health Service (NHS) and his mother ran a local pharmacy. His grandparents were born in Punjab and had migrated to East Africa, before moving to Britain in the 1960s where they reportedly worked administrative jobs.
Rating: 5