Rishi Sunak is set to become the UK's next prime minister after Penny Mordaunt dropped out of the Tory leadership race. He will become the UK's first British Asian PM. Rishi Sunak was the first UK parliamentarian who took oath as MP from Yorkshire, on the Bhagavad Gita in the Parliament. Sunak's parents, pharmacists, who migrated from East Africa to the UK in the 1960s are of Indian origin. Sunak is married to Infosys chief Narayan Murthy's daughter Akshata Murthy. They have two daughters - Krishna and Anoushka. He has celebrated Diwali as the ex-Chancellor of the Exchequer under Boris Johnson's leadership.
In September, Rishi Sunak lost to Liz Truss in the Conservative leadership race. Truss resigned as the PM of Britain within less than 50 days after forming her government after a disastrous economic plan didn’t go down well with the public and fellow party members. Having been formally appointed by Queen Elizabeth II on Sept. 6, Truss is now the shortest-serving prime minister in British history.
Announcing there was just one person with the backing of 100 MPs, 1922 Committee chairman Sir Graham Brady confirmed the new Tory leader Rishi Sunak will address MPs at 14:30 BST.
In an EXCLUSIVE interview with Asian Voice on ahead of his leadership race results in September 2022, as Rishi Sunak looked through the copies of our newspapers and magazines, he spoke to us about his understanding of his perception within the community, the political gamble he continues to navigate and more.
Below are some selected excerpts:
AV: Does being a proud British Hindu and British Indian hinder your ambition to be a Prime Minister of a country that is so diverse and has a majority white population? Do you think Britain is ready for a Prime Minister from an ethnic/Asian community after all?
Yes, the country is ready - I don’t think it hinders it all, and the commentariat probably said the same thing about a female Prime Minister before Mrs Thatcher and were wrong then.
I’ve been very open that my faith means a great deal to me. Again, I don’t see this as a hindrance in the slightest - rather a strength - as millions of people in our country have faith. My experience is that people respect one another’s faiths and backgrounds in this country. As well as being proud of my faith I am proud of the traditions and history of this great country that we are all fortunate to call home.
This leadership contest has also shown the breadth of talent we have within the Conservative Party. We had a slate of great candidates throughout the contest, from a wide range of different backgrounds, and that’s something we should all feel very proud of. It would only happen in the Conservative party.
AV: You've maintained the fact that you truly are a Briton at heart while having roots in India. Should you win the leadership race, what measures are you looking to implement to cater to the sufferings of the ethnic minority community in the UK?
This country did something incredible for my family, by welcoming my parents and grandparents and providing an opportunity to start a new life here. I want everyone, regardless of their ethnicity, gender or background, to feel the same way, so they know that opportunities exist for people.
I want everyone in this country to feel they have the opportunity to succeed if they work hard and do the right thing. That’s why education would be a big focus for me as Prime Minister - a good education is the closest thing we have to a silver bullet when it comes to making peoples’ lives better.
AV: You continue to stand by your mission to control inflation as averse to your opponent Ms Truss who wants to cut down taxes. Is the difference in the sensibility of the party bigger than the fate of the British economy? If not adhered to with the right approach, what will this mean for UK’s financial future?
I have been honest with people throughout this contest that the number one challenge that we face is inflation. Inflation is the enemy that makes everyone poorer and we must bring it under control as a priority. We must also support people with the cost of living this winter as it’s going to be really tough for working families and pensioners. Covid and Putin’s war is not their fault and we have to support people through this challenging winter, whilst improving our domestic energy security so we have secure affordable energy for winters to come.
