Rishi Sunak Officially Joins Race to be U.K. Prime Minister – Former British finance minister Rishi Sunak declared his candidacy to succeed Liz Truss as the next leader of the Conservative Party, putting him on track to advance to the final round of candidates for prime minister. He tweeted on Sunday, “I want to fix our economy, unite our Party and deliver for our country.” Sunak, 42, is vying for the post for the second time in less than four months.
During the summer, the former U.K. chancellor reached the final round in the contest to succeed Boris Johnson before losing to Truss in a party-member vote. Sunak’s statement on Sunday makes him the first and only contender to secure the 100 nominations from other MPs required by Monday at 2:00 p.m. to be on the party’s ballot, according to public tallies. If more than one candidate meets the threshold, members of Parliament will select two candidates for online voting by party members, with results due on October 28.
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As of Sunday, Sunak’s most formidable opponent appeared to be Johnson, the former prime minister whose resignation in July sparked the present political upheaval in Britain. Sunak stated that the public deserved a government that handled itself “properly, competently, and seriously” when he resigned as Johnson’s finance minister, prompting a wave of additional resignations and finally forcing Johnson to resign.
The British media reported on Saturday that the two men, who once worked together, were holding late-night talks, sparking rumors that they could reach an agreement to set aside their animosity and form a single ticket. Sunak would become the country’s first prime minister of South Asian heritage if he is eventually elected. Born in Southampton, England, to parents of Indian descent who had moved from East Africa.
A number of conservative legislators and former Johnson allies have endorsed Sunak. Many of these supporters have attempted to depict the former finance minister as a stabilizing candidate who understands government business and is capable of ending the recent upheaval.
“It is abundantly clear that Rishi Sunak has what it takes to match the challenges we face — he is the right person to lead our Party,” Sajid Javid, who previously served in Johnson’s cabinet, said in his announcement of support. “He has the talent, integrity, and humility necessary to provide us with a fresh start and a steady hand,” Gavin Williamson, another former Johnson cabinet member, tweeted. Nick Gibb, another Conservative lawmaker, hailed Sunak’s “competence” and “economic foresight.”
Lord David Frost, who negotiated the U.K.’s Brexit deal and was later appointed to the House of Lords by Johnson, announced on Saturday that it was time to “move on” from the former prime minister, dealing a severe blow to Johnson’s hopes.
In addition, Sunak loyalists noted that during the previous leadership contest against Truss this summer, his candidacy earned the greatest support from his fellow lawmakers. Sunak attended one of the most prominent private schools in Britain, such as Johnson, and holds degrees from the University of Oxford, Stanford University, and Goldman Sachs.
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Rishi Sunak Officially Joins Race to be U.K. Prime Minister – In addition to being one of the wealthiest British MPs, he is married to the Indian IT heiress Akshata Murthy, whose tax issues caused the former chancellor some political embarrassment during his summer leadership campaign. To his fans, Sunak is a steady hand on the economic tiller, as he accurately forecast the market catastrophe caused by Truss’s policies when she cut taxes and caused the British pound to collapse.
Before she assumed office, he referred to Truss’s proposed economic reforms as “fairy tale economics,” an assessment that is expected to bolster his reputation of budgetary prudence. His association with the “Partygate” scandal that collapsed Johnson’s government is a stain on his record. Sunak, like his boss, was fined by London’s Metropolitan Police for attending events at 10 Downing Street when the country was under severe coronavirus lockdown restrictions.
