Rishi Sunak succeeds Liz Truss, who was forced to resign after her tax-cutting plans backfired.
In a stunning leadership change in the midst of an economic crisis, Rishi Sunak will be appointed as Britain’s first Indian-origin Prime Minister today.
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Mr. Sunak was elected Conservative Party leader yesterday after his former boss Boris Johnson backed down from a comeback bid and contender Penny Mordaunt ceased to garner enough support from Tory MPs.
Mr. Sunak, 42, will be the UK’s youngest Prime Minister in more than two centuries. He ends up taking over for Liz Truss, who was forced to resign as her tax-cutting plans failed.
He represents an economy that was already on the verge of a recession before Truss’s tax-cutting financial plan sent shocks through the market, causing the pound to crash.
After Queen Elizabeth’s death, Mr. Sunak will meet King Charles today and become the first prime minister to be chosen by him. Two days prior to her passing on September 8th, the Queen appointed Truss.
Truss, the British Prime Minister with the shortest tenure, will make her final cabinet meeting official statement at 10 Downing Street around 0915 GMT (2:45 PM IST). Mr. Sunak will most likely speak after an hour.
Mr. Sunak promised the public yesterday that he would bring “stability and unity” to the party and the country.
Mr. Sunak’s first job after delivering his inaugural speech from the steps of 10 Downing Street will be to assemble his top team before having to face the first discussion of “Prime Minister’s Questions” in Parliament on Monday.
Boris Johnson may not be able to join Mr Sunak’s cabinet as he was forced to step down as Prime Minister as a result of Mr. Sunak’s resignation as Chancellor.
Mr. Sunak’s parents are of Indian origin and immigrated to the UK from East Africa in the 1960s. He is married to Akshata Murty, the daughter of Infosys founder Narayana Murthy.
Rishi Sunak received “warmest congratulations” from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday. “As you take over as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, I look forward to working closely with you on global issues and putting Roadmap 2030 into action. Special Diwali greetings to the UK Indian community’s “living bridge,” as we transform our historic ties into a modern partnership “He tweeted.