The future of our nation depends upon its finances. And its finances depend upon the Chancellor. Of course one feels immense pride that this is a practicing Hindu – perhaps more than ever faith matters at this time.
It would be too much of a stretch to say that wealth and Lakshmi being an inherent part of Hinduism, we should not be surprised at the loosening of the purse strings from him.
Watching him with sacred thread on his wrist as he read the budget once must be incredulous that in the same House of Commons where Warren Hastings was impeached as Government General of India for corruption in robbing India of her wealth, that a descendant of that nation serves to provide that wealth to the citizens of Britain today.
But it is more than Rishi’s faith. It is how he calmed a nation. Not just at the budget, but thereafter at the daily briefings. How many wished that if sadly the PM were to be hospitalized, then it should be Rishi leading the country?
It is easy to forget he is a man of destiny. Only 5 years ago he was not even an MP. A child not of the 1970s – but the 1980s. His First Class degree from Oxford and then Goldman Sachs, onwards to a hedge fund and an MBA from Stanford would usually set him up for derision.
But there is a humility and likeability about the man. That X-factor is the key. Yes as Chairman of the City Hindus Network, it makes me immensely proud a practicing Hindu, one not ashamed of his faith, is the Chancellor.
But there is more of importance than even that you must know. Unlike other Chancellors, Rishi understand entrepreneurship and investment into start ups and small businesses. His wife, runs a family office, venture investment fund.
At this critical time for Britain it has been argued the UK has not done enough for start-ups. This is a Chancellor who understands more than any other what startups need. I know from sources the Treasury are looking at making changes to their financial assistance for start ups to allow them to access monies despite the unique problems they face of lacking in security for loans. The statistics show it is today’s start-ups with few employees, large IT bills, and little assets, that become tomorrow’s largest employers.
The fear is Germany, France and US are giving grants and more funding to these high growth tech companies and so Britain, a global leader is left behind in a desolation of lost talent and intellectual property.
And given the disproportionate number of British Indians who are entrepreneurs and increasingly tech entrepreneurs, it will be our community which will be hit too.
Should god-forbid Dominic Raab fall ill to Covid19, then Rishi Sunak, the first ever Indian, will lead the United Kingdom as stand-in for the Prime Minister. We would not wish it in these circumstance, but we would in better times I am sure. We wish the Prime Minister well and a speedy recovery for him and the nation to normality.
By Alpesh B Patel
