Rishi Sunak

Britain's former finance minister made it to the final round in the race to succeed Boris Johnson before losing to Liz Truss in September.

And some critics, like former Conservative Party leader [Iain Duncan Smith](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/07/17/sir-ian-duncan-smith-rishi-sunak-blame-high-inflation/), have noted that the U.K.’s record-high levels of inflation began during Sunak’s time as chancellor. Like his boss, Sunak was [fined by London’s Metropolitan Police](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/04/12/partygate-fines-downing-street/?itid=lk_inline_manual_14&itid=lk_inline_manual_21&itid=lk_inline_manual_43&itid=lk_inline_manual_37) while in office for attending gatherings at 10 Downing Street while Britons were under severe government-imposed [coronavirus](https://www.washingtonpost.com/coronavirus/?itid=lk_inline_manual_43&itid=lk_inline_manual_37) lockdown restrictions. One of the wealthiest British politicians, he is married to the Indian tech heiress Akshata Murthy, whose tax status caused Sunak some political A relative unknown before his promotion in 2020 to be Johnson’s finance minister, Sunak has since developed a reputation for attention to fiscal detail and taking a pragmatic approach to managing the country’s finances, an image he established by steering the country through the economic chaos unleashed by the coronavirus pandemic. That person, for me, is Rishi Sunak,” she wrote in the Sunak loyalists also pointed out that during the leadership contest against Truss this summer, his candidacy received the most support from his parliamentary colleagues. Sunday’s announcement made Sunak the first — and, so far, the only — formally declared candidate to have collected the 100 nominations from fellow lawmakers required by 2 p.m. It is the second time in less than four months that Sunak, 42, has vied for the role. In a He was born in Southampton, England, to parents of Indian origin who emigrated from East Africa. If ultimately victorious, Sunak would become the country’s first prime minister of A fast-paced leadership contest in Britain is an unpredictable sport.

Former PM Johnson says “this is simply not the right time” to bid for a return to 10 Downing Street.

In his statement Sunday evening, Johnson claimed he did in fact have the numbers required, and that he was confident of winning sufficient support in the subsequent ballot of Tory grassroots members to put himself back in No. [Zahawi announced 29 minutes](https://twitter.com/nadhimzahawi/status/1584280847141638144) later that he was now backing Sunak instead. 10 — potentially giving him the chance of a comeback. Off to bed!” An hour later he, too, announced he was backing Sunak. Johnson had always made clear he hoped to one day return as prime minister after being ousted back in July. “Boris Johnson delivered Brexit and the great vaccine roll-out,” Sunak said. But most observers believe Sunak is now firmly on course for Downing Street, just seven astonishing weeks after he was roundly defeated by Truss in the last Tory leadership contest. “You can’t govern effectively unless you have a united party in Parliament,” Johnson said. But he said the urgent need for party unity meant he would pull out of the race instead. Senior figures including Chancellor Jeremy Hunt rowed in behind Sunak Sunday evening following Johnson’s departure from the race. prime minister as early as Monday after Boris Johnson sensationally abandoned hopes of a return to No. His decision leaves Sunak, his fierce rival and former chancellor, in pole position to take over as U.K.

More than 150 Conservative MPs came to view Rishi Sunak as their saviour from the threatened return of a scandal-mired Boris Johnson. But when Sunak was at ...

A broad spectrum of MPs have come out for Sunak, from Suella Braverman and Steve Baker on the right to Bob Neill and Stephen Hammond from the centrist wing, and he will have made many promises in order to extract such support, from Eurosceptics in particular. But if he finds himself as prime minister, possibly as soon as Monday, Sunak will have to find depths of political creativity and diplomacy to deal with a nightmare in-tray. Fast-forward just a few months and Sunak finds himself now cast in the role of Tory messiah by some of his colleagues.

Rishi Sunak is in prime position to become the UK's next prime minister, following Boris Johnson's withdrawal from the contest.

While he led the Conservative Party to a landslide election in 2019, he was But the opportunities - if we make the right choice - are phenomenal." Some Johnson supporters could switch to Mordaunt, who has presented herself as the unity candidate, but many immediately switched to Sunak. Johnson is also still facing a privileges committee investigation into whether he misled parliament over Downing Street parties during Covid-19 lockdowns. "The challenges we face now are even greater. That had raised concerns that Johnson would return to Downing Street with the backing of the party members, and not a majority of lawmakers in parliament, leaving the party badly divided.

Boris Johnson, who resigned as PM in July, is still mulling a run.

Incredibly, Truss also served during the reign of two monarchs–the first to do so [since Winston Churchill](https://www.republicworld.com/world-news/uk-news/liz-truss-becomes-the-first-uk-pm-to-have-served-two-monarchs-since-winston-churchill-articleshow.html). [14:00 BST on Monday](https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-63361384); if only one candidate emerges with 100 nominations, a new prime minister could be announced late Monday. Oz’s Senate Campaign](https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2022/10/dr-oz-dog-killing-pennsylvania-senate-race?itm_content=footer-recirc&itm_campaign=more-great-stories-101122)? [Gisele Bündchen’s New Chapter](https://archive.vanityfair.com/article/2009/5/and-god-created-gisele?itm_content=footer-recirc&itm_campaign=more-great-stories-101122)(2009) [Marriage Problems](https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2022/10/tom-brady-gisele-bundchen-10-year-old-marriage-problems-going-on-forever-divorce?itm_content=footer-recirc&itm_campaign=more-great-stories-101122)Are Reportedly “10 Years Old” That’s why I’m standing to be your next Prime Minister of the Conservative Party.” He added that he aims to “fix our economy, unite our party, and deliver for our country.” [Best Horror Movies](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2022/10/best-horror-movies?itm_content=footer-recirc&itm_campaign=more-great-stories-101122)to Keep You Up at Night He made a statement on Twitter: “The choice our Party makes now will decide whether the next generation of British people will have more opportunities than the last. [Lizzo Is Here to Talk About All of It](https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2022/10/lizzo-is-here-to-talk-about-all-of-it?itm_content=footer-recirc&itm_campaign=more-great-stories-101122)—That Flute, That Lyric, Her Man, and More [series of resignations in her cabinet, skyrocketing inflation, and widening party divides.](https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2022/10/liz-truss-britain-another-prime-minister-resignation-boris-johnson) “ [I cannot deliver the mandate](https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2022/10/liz-trusss-uk-prime-minister-resigns) on which I was elected by the Conservative Party,” Truss said on Thursday. [originates](https://twitter.com/RishiSunak/status/1584114970723512321) from. [Sunak came before he confirmed](https://www.reuters.com/article/britain-politics-sunak-idAFKBN2RI05E) on Sunday that he [was officially running for](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/sunak-leads-in-race-for-uk-leader-johnson-yet-to-declare/2022/10/23/f91c339a-52bc-11ed-ac8b-08bbfab1c5a5_story.html) prime minister.

Britain's Conservative Party is once again picking its next leader who will become the next U.K. prime minister after Liz Truss resigned.

An election can be called early but it would require the support of Conservative lawmakers, which seems unlikely given that the party faces a near wipeout if an election was held today. Nadhim Zahawi, a former top minister in Johnson’s government, tweeted, “A day is a long time in politics …” Indeed, it was. As Tory lawmakers ready themselves for a vote on Monday, over who runs their party and therefore who runs Britain, the surrogates for Johnson and his chief rival, the former finance minister Sunak, were duking it out on the morning talk shows, the gossipy Westminster WhatsApp groups and rounds of phone-calling and arm-twisting. Rishi is the only candidate that fits the bill.” Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, reiterated his calls for a general election. The former home secretary Suella Braverman, who is also on the right of the party, came out for Sunak. He led our country through some of the toughest challenges we have ever faced, and then took on Putin and his barbaric war in Ukraine. Mordaunt will be hoping to pick up support from undeclared voters and Johnson backers, but already some of those have said they will be backing Sunak. In a statement, Johnson said he had enough support to proceed to a vote among Conservative Party lawmakers on Monday. You can’t govern effectively unless you have a united party in parliament,” he said. He is a centrist on the economy, who promises to balance the books and pay heed to the Bank of England and the bond market. Sunak is a graduate of Stanford University and a former employee of Goldman Sachs.

The BBC has been keeping a running total of MPs who have gone on the record with support. The voting intentions of only 204 out of 357 Conservative MPs are ...

He said he was very confident Mr Sunak would stand, adding: "I think the critical issue here is going to be the economy. Pointing to the parliamentary probe facing Mr Johnson, Mr Raab told the BBC: "We cannot go backwards. She stressed the need to "make Brexit work", "focus on the potential of all our citizens" and "defend our Union and its territorial integrity". An ally of former home secretary Suella Braverman told the PA news agency she had been "heavily courted" by both Mr Johnson and Mr Sunak and was likely to decide who to back on Sunday. He told Sky News a large number of Conservative MPs would "refuse to lay down their integrity" in order to defend Mr Johnson on the issue. Mr Baker - an influential MP on the right of the party - said Mr Johnson would be a "guaranteed disaster", and specifically expressed concern

Rishi Sunak has just declared he is running to be the next Conservative Party leader and prime minister after days of speculation, during which he amassed the support of well over 100 MPs. In a tweet announcing his candidacy, Sunak writes "the United ...

And I need a leader who will put our house in order and apply a steady, careful hand on the tiller. The momentum is with ex-Chancellor Rishi Sunak. The MP says Johnson "understands the frustration that people had. Who will Penny Mordaunt and her supporters swing behind? Current Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is due to set out his economic plans on 31 October. According to Oddschecker, the likelihood of Sunak becoming PM is 74%. "I think all of us lost our patience over the Partygate issue. He currently has the public endorsement of 146 Tory MPs. But I think he has genuinely learned from those mistakes. "But what we need is a government that will actually tell us honestly there is a reduction in our national standard of living because we've decided to help Ukraine and confront Russia and that means that all of us are going to have to share the burden, we can't just put all of it on our children and grandchildren." Less than 24 hours later – Liz Truss was gone. "I'm confident Boris has got the numbers, I'm confident Boris will be in this contest, and in it to win it," he says.

LONDON — Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced Sunday he will not run to lead the Conservative Party, ending a short-lived, high-profile ...

In his Sunday statement, Johnson insisted he was "well placed to deliver a Conservative victory" in the next national election, due by 2024. "Therefore I am afraid the best thing is that I do not allow my nomination to go forward and commit my support to whoever succeeds." Tory voters backed Truss over Sunak, but he was proved right when Truss' unfunded tax-cutting package triggered chaos in the markets in September. "What we can't do is have him as prime minister in circumstances where he's bound to implode, taking down the whole government ... The prospect of a return by Johnson had thrown the already divided Conservative Party into further turmoil. His withdrawal leaves former Treasury chief Rishi Sunak the strong favorite to become Britain's next prime minister — the third this year — at a time of political turmoil and severe economic challenges.

He also claimed he had secured 102 nominations from Conservative Party members — 100 nominations are needed to qualify for leadership — but BBC News had only ...

Supporters say he is a vote winner and has enough support from lawmakers, but many critics warn that another Johnson government would be catastrophic for the party and the country. "What we can't do is have him as prime minister in circumstances where he's bound to implode, taking down the whole government ... 10 and the country better," Zahawi said. The new leader is due to be selected by Friday. If all three meet the threshold, lawmakers will vote to knock out one and then hold an indicative vote on the final two. Baker noted that Johnson still faces an investigation into whether he lied to Parliament while in office about breaking his government's own coronavirus restrictions during parties at Downing Street. On Sunday, he confirmed he was running again in the latest leadership contest. "There will be integrity, professionalism and accountability at every level of the government I lead and I will work day in and day out to get the job done," Sunak said in a statement. Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg told the BBC on Sunday that he spoke with Johnson and "clearly he's going to stand" after flying back to London Saturday from a vacation in the Dominican Republic. [Boris Johnson](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/boris-johnson-returns-uk-rumors-he-will-run-british-prime-minister/) said in a statement Sunday that he would not seek the leadership of the Conservative Party, leaving former Treasury chief Rishi Sunak as the frontrunner to take over after [Liz Truss](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/liz-truss-resigns-as-uk-prime-minister-today/) hastily announced her exit last week, after just 45 days at the helm. [BBC News](https://www.bbc.com/news/live/uk-politics-63327087), Johnson insisted in the statement "I believe I am well placed to deliver a Conservative victory in 2024." [runner-up after Truss](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/liz-truss-britain-prime-minister-cost-of-living-action/) in this summer's Tory leadership race to replace Johnson after he was forced out by a string of ethics scandals.

Boris Johnson 'delivered Brexit and great vaccine roll-out', says Rishi Sunak; Penny Mordaunt on 30 supporters as Sunak secures 165 ahead of 2 pm Monday ...

BBC political correspondent Nick Eardley points out that a lot of people will be paying attention to the last few words in Johnson’s statement last night. Contender Penny Mordaunt, who missed out on the last contest’s run-off by just eight votes, is now under pressure to concede rather than force the contest to a vote of members. She did not reveal anything about where her own bid stands, but this may signal that she is planning to get the backing of MPs who declared their support for Johnson: Angela Rayner, the deputy leader, said: “The Tories are about to hand the keys of the country to Rishi Sunak without him saying a single word about how he would govern. The person coming second (almost certainly Mordaunt) would be under pressure to withdraw at that point, although theoretically the decision could still go to a ballot of members, in which case we would not have a new PM until Friday. Former prime minister Boris Johnson has ended his bid to return to power within months of being ousted, claiming that although he had the numbers, he would not run to replace Liz Truss, who resigned as Conservative party leader on Thursday after just 45 days in office. That is the time when nominations close and Penny Mordaunt, the only other candidate still in the contest, is struggling to collect 100 names. It will be the first time since 1940 that a new PM has taken over for the second time since the previous general election. And it will be the first time since 1834 that the we’ve had three prime ministers in year. And it looks very, very likely that by the end of the day Rishi Sunak will be the next prime minister. I’m Andrew Sparrow, taking over from Helen Sullivan, on a morning when the UK wakes up to learn that one national icon is staging a comeback, but it’s David Tennant as Dr Who (see 6.44am), not Boris Johnson as prime minister. Diwali is a five day festival celebrated by millions of Hindus, Sikhs and Jains across the world.

Rishi Sunak has emerged as the frontrunner in the race to become the UK's next prime minister, after Boris Johnson announced he was not standing.

She will become the shortest-serving prime minister in British history when she stands down. Candidates need the support of at least 100 Tory MPs to progress to the next stage. If two candidates remain and no-one withdraws, Tory party members will make the final decision in an online vote, with the winner declared by Friday "No one voted for this. Off to bed!" Essex MP James Duddridge, who gave the first indication that Mr Johnson was intending to run in the Tory leadership race, simply tweeted: "Well that was unexpected.

Rishi Sunak and Penny Mordaunt are in the race to lead the U.K.'s Conservative Party and Britain, with a deadline of 2 p.m. local time for nominations.

local time to secure the endorsements of at least 100 of their party colleagues in Parliament (out of 357). Contenders to lead the ruling Conservative Party and the country face a deadline of 2 p.m. After former prime minister

Sunak could cap a stunning reversal in fortunes by winning the leadership as early as Monday afternoon U.K. time.

If this does not resolve the issue or you are unable to add the domains to your allowlist, please see Please add japantimes.co.jp and piano.io to your list of allowed sites. This could be due to a conflict with your ad-blocking or security software.

Rishi Sunak took a huge step toward becoming the UK's next prime minister as former premier Boris Johnson pulled out of the contest after a weekend of ...

Sterling rises after Boris Johnson quits race and former chancellor pulls ahead of rival Penny Mordaunt.

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MP Christopher Chope says there will be continuing rebellions unless Sunak holds general election if he becomes PM.

It also found she was seen as more trustworthy, “highlighting that she is the only candidate who can unite the country and restore trust in government”, her campaign said. We’re going to have continuing rebellions as we try to change policies.” Christopher Chope, the MP for Christchurch and a supporter of Johnson, warned on Monday that Sunak was seen as having undermined Johnson and Truss, and thus could not expect loyalty from Conservative MPs. “Respect is a mutual thing. “Unlike Boris, who did have a mandate, we now have the prospect of having a Conservative party leader who doesn’t have the mandate from the country and won’t even have a mandate from the membership either.” The former prime minister said he had 100-plus MPs backing him but others were sceptical.

Rishi Sunak looks set to become the next U.K. prime minister with results to be announced Monday afternoon.

Pressure had mounted for the short-lived leader to quit after her new finance policies flopped and caused market chaos. Gilt yields fall [Sterling](/quotes/GBP=/) rose and 10-year gilt yields fell to their lowest level in a month in early trade Monday, briefly hitting 3.814%, down 21 basis points for the session. Monday, by which point candidates need to have secured at least 100 nominations from fellow Tory lawmakers to stand as leader of the party. Sunak could be confirmed as the next leader of the Conservative Party and U.K. [Liz Truss announced her resignation](https://www.cnbc.com/2022/10/20/uk-prime-minister-liz-truss-resigns-after-failed-budget-and-market-turmoil.html) Thursday after just 44 days in the role. [a former defense minister](https://www.cnbc.com/2022/07/20/penny-mordaunt-the-navy-reservist-battling-to-succeed-boris-johnson.html), who came behind Sunak in the original contest to take charge of the Conservative Party in September. [current Finance Minister Jeremy Hunt](https://www.cnbc.com/2022/10/17/uks-new-finance-minister-sets-out-.html) and former Finance Minister Sajid Javid, along with current Interior Minister Grant Shapps and his predecessors [Suella Braverman](https://www.cnbc.com/2022/10/19/uks-suella-braverman-to-reportedly-leave-role-as-interior-minister-.html) and Priti Patel. LONDON — Former Finance Minister Rishi Sunak looks set to become the next prime minister of the U.K., with votes to be counted Monday afternoon. [according ](https://news.sky.com/story/boris-johnson-pulls-out-of-conservative-leadership-race-12728576) [t](https://news.sky.com/story/next-prime-minister-uk-latest-boris-johnson-rishi-sunak-truss-mordaunt-12593360) [o Sky News](https://news.sky.com/story/boris-johnson-pulls-out-of-conservative-leadership-race-12728576), while Mordaunt is thought to have around 25, with 357 lawmakers eligible to vote. - Former Finance Minister Rishi Sunak looks set to become the next prime minister of the U.K., with votes to be counted Monday afternoon. [he dropped out of the race](https://www.cnbc.com/2022/10/23/former-uk-pm-boris-johnson-reportedly-pulls-out-of-leadership-race.html) late Sunday. - Former Defense Minister Penny Mordaunt is his only rival after former Prime Minister Boris Johnson pulled out of the race Sunday.

Many Indians are delighted at the prospect of Rishi Sunak becoming the first person of Indian origin to become British prime minister on Monday, ...

Muthukrishnan wrote on Twitter, referring to the founder of Indian software giant Infosys Ltd "Rishi Sunak took oath as an MP on (Hindu holy book) Bhagavad Gita. He has also been photographed lighting candles outside No 11 Downing Street to mark the occasion. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com "This (Diwali) is very special for India's magnificent cricket victory and in all likelihood, Rishi Sunak, a person of Indian origin, a practising Hindu and our own Narayana Murthy's son-in-law, becoming prime minister of UK," Chennai resident D. NEW DELHI, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Many Indians are delighted at the prospect of Rishi Sunak becoming the first person of Indian origin to become British prime minister on Monday, just as Hindus across the world celebrate Diwali.

Boris Johnson has withdrawn from the race to be Conservative leader, leaving Rishi Sunak within touching distance of becoming prime minister. After senior ...

If Johnson had won, he warned that a political crisis would develop by the end of the week. He suggested the former prime minister would make an “amazing chairman” instead. I believe I have much to offer, but I am afraid that this is simply not the right time.” Labour questioned the appointment of a new prime minister while the country has heard nothing of their programme for government. Sunak is expected to sweep up many more Tory MPs on Monday morning given he has the momentum, but Mordaunt could win over any former Johnson supporters who want to stop him. Many MPs were concerned about the upcoming Perhaps it’s not surprising he’s avoiding scrutiny: after all, he was so bad that just a few weeks ago, he was trounced by Liz Truss.” [Rishi Sunak](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/rishi-sunak) without him saying a single word about how he would govern. “Rishi will be continuing to talk to colleagues tomorrow morning before nomination papers go in, and discussing how best to unite the party and take the country forward,” the campaign source said. She had only 30 public backers by Sunday night – 70 short of the number needed to get on the ballot paper. [Former shadow chancellor] Ed Balls, shadow cabinet ministers and Labour advisers have all said Penny is the candidate Keir Starmer fears the most.” You can’t govern effectively unless you have a united party in parliament.

The former chancellor is the firm favourite to replace outgoing leader Liz Truss after weeks of turmoil.

The former U.K. Treasury chief was runner-up to Liz Truss in the contest to replace the scandal-plagued Boris Johnson as Conservative Party leader and prime ...

"In the last five years, we've seen ethnic minority chancellors of the Exchequer, home secretaries, foreign secretaries at a remarkable pace. "Ethnic diversity has become a new normal at the top table of British politics," Katwala acknowledges. At 42, he'll also be the youngest prime minister in more than 200 years. — faces enormous economic challenges. Sunak's rise in British politics has been nothing short of meteoric. Sunak will be the first British Asian to become prime minister and the first nonwhite to take the top job.

Former chancellor has previously said his faith gives him strength and purpose and is part of who he is.

They migrated to the UK in the 1960s. “But in other ways it is unremarkable, little commented on, and that is one of the great things about the United Kingdom – that we are able to get along. But Tariq Modood, professor of sociology, politics and public policy at the University of Bristol, said: “Whatever his political views, Sunak becoming prime minister is a historic moment for multiculturalism and racial equality. But the majority of ethnic minorities continue to vote Labour. It was one of my proudest moments of the job that I had for the last two years,” It celebrates new beginnings and the triumph of good over evil and light over darkness.

The former Treasury chief will be Britain's first leader of colour, and faces the task of stabilising the party and country at a time of economic and ...

In his Sunday statement, Johnson insisted he was “well placed to deliver a Conservative victory” in the next national election, due by 2024. The Conservative Party turmoil is fuelling demands for a national election. The prospect of a return by Johnson had thrown the already divided Conservative Party into further turmoil. Johnson spent the weekend trying to gain support from fellow Conservative lawmakers after flying back from a Caribbean vacation. Sunak will be Britain’s first leader of colour, and the nation's third leader just this year. He now faces the huge task of stabilizing the party and country at a time of economic and political turbulence.

A popular former chancellor of the exchequer under Boris Johnson's premiership, Sunak will be the first nonwhite to take the top job and the youngest prime ...

"In the last five years, we've seen ethnic minority chancellors of the Exchequer, home secretaries, foreign secretaries at a remarkable pace. "Ethnic diversity has become a new normal at the top table of British politics," Katwala acknowledges. At 42, he'll also be the youngest prime minister in more than 200 years. — faces enormous economic challenges. Sunak's rise in British politics has been nothing short of meteoric. Sunak will be the first British Asian to become prime minister and the first nonwhite to take the top job.

His wife, Akshata Murty, is the daughter of a billionaire; their garden parties are one of the hottest tickets in their home town.

Between 2018 and 2019 he served as parliamentary undersecretary of state for local government, before entering cabinet in 2019 as chief secretary to the Treasury. These include a Grade II-listed manor house in the village of Kirby Sigston, near Northallerton, in his Richmond constituency, which was bought for £1.5m in 2015; and a five-bedroom townhouse in South Kensington, London, which records show was last sold for £4.5m in 2010. Murty runs her own fashion label, Akshata Designs, and is also the director of a venture capital firm founded by her father in 2010. He was re-elected in 2019 with a majority of 27,210. Their two children, Krishna and Anoushka, appeared with Sunak on the campaign trail in the leadership contest against Liz Truss during the summer. Sunak was born in Southampton in 1980 to Indian parents who had moved to the UK from east Africa.

Almost 200 Tory MPs publicly backed the ex-chancellor, who was elected party leader without a vote.

"This decision is an historic one and shows, once again, the diversity and talent of our party," Ms Mordaunt wrote in a tweet. Mr Sunak will be the fourth consecutive prime minister - after Theresa May, Boris Johnson and Ms Truss - to take power without a general election. Sources told the BBC that Mr Sunak and Mr Johnson met on Saturday as Tory MPs decided who to back in the second Tory leadership contest in four months. Ms Mordaunt took the leadership race to the wire but came under pressure to unite behind Mr Sunak after former Prime Minister Boris Johnson withdrew from the contest on Sunday. Mr Sunak - a 42-year-old practising Hindu - is expected to take office in the coming days now the result of the Tory leadership contest is known. Mr Sunak's coronation, in effect, as Tory leader caps a rapid political comeback by the former chancellor after he lost out to Ms Truss in the last leadership contest during the summer.

The incoming prime minister said Conservatives must "unite or die" in his first address as leader after he won the race to lead the party.

In there, he showed a capacity to marshal the whole party." Penny Mordaunt, who lost out to Sunak, said his election was an "historic one and shows, once again, the diversity and talent of our party," she said. After graduating from Oxford University, he went to Stanford University where he met his wife Akshata Murthy, whose father is Indian billionaire N. Sunak told the party it faced an "existential crisis" and lawmakers should now focus on policy not personalities. His successor Truss lasted just over six weeks before she quit over an economic policy that trashed the country's economic credibility. Hunt backed Sunak for leader.

Former Treasury chief Rishi Sunak was set to become Britain's next prime minister after the governing Conservative Party chose him as its leader on Monday ...

"So I don't expect this to make an enormous amount of difference to the opinion polls." The Conservative Party turmoil is fueling demands for a national election. But Sunak still faces resentment from supporters of Johnson for quitting the government in July, a move that helped topple the then-leader. The prospect of a return by Johnson had thrown the already divided Conservative Party into further turmoil. Truss' proposal for aggressive tax cuts that would be paid for through government borrowing pummeled the value of the pound, drove up the cost of government borrowing and home mortgages, and forced emergency Bank of England intervention. Tim Bale, professor of politics at Queen Mary University of London, said Sunak's government faces a long list of challenges: weakened public finances, a worsening economic outlook and a wave of strikes amid record-high inflation. Truss conceded last week that she could not deliver on her plans — but only after her attempts triggered market chaos and worsened inflation at a time when millions of Britons were already struggling with soaring borrowing costs and energy and food prices. "And certainly I think voters, while possibly they may give Rishi Sunak a little bit of a bounce, a little bit of credit for not being Liz Truss, are certainly out of love with the Conservative Party as a whole," he said. Sunak takes over from Liz Truss, who quit last week after 45 tumultuous days in office. He led the party to a thumping election victory in 2019, but his premiership was clouded by scandals over money and ethics that eventually became too much for the party to bear. Former Cabinet minister Chris Grayling said Sunak had urged the party "to unite and fix the problems the country faces" and had got "a rapturous reception." Former Treasury chief Rishi Sunak was set to become Britain's next prime minister after the governing Conservative Party chose him as its leader on Monday in the hope that he will be a safe pair of hands to guide the country at a time of economic and political turbulence.

In December 2019, nearly 14 million people voted for Boris Johnson to become prime minister of Britain. Last month, 140,000 Tory members voted for Liz Truss ...

He thought both were hopeless: “One of the dominant facts in English life during the past three-quarters of a century has been the decay of ability in the ruling class.” Sunak, the third British prime minister since early September, and the second without a mandate from the voters, will struggle to prove Orwell wrong. To those sensitive to the exquisite vibrations of the British class system, this makes him “new money.” By contrast, Boris Johnson—a scholarship boy at Eton who even got a Conservative donor to pay for the celebratory [barbecue](https://www.standard.co.uk/insider/boris-johnson-carrie-wedding-details-daylesford-house-braai-savannah-miller-b1016110.html) at his third wedding—has always postured as “old money.” [non-dom](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/apr/06/rishi-sunaks-wife-claims-non-domicile-status)”—a foreign national who paid a £30,000 flat fee in lieu of millions of pounds in income tax on earnings outside Britain—nearly sank her husband’s political career. Does he have any idea how to improve either Britain’s terrible productivity figures or his party’s own [terrible poll ratings](https://twitter.com/PME_Politics/status/1584586899200831490?s=20&t=VZfkl5cwIVAPifqznXRtLw)? He wears his [designer ](https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/rishi-sunak-budget-photoshoot-slippers-flip-flops-palm-angel-b962640.html) [slides](https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/rishi-sunak-budget-photoshoot-slippers-flip-flops-palm-angel-b962640.html) with white socks. “England was ruled by an aristocracy constantly recruited from parvenus,” George Orwell wrote in The Lion and the Unicorn, of the first half of the 20th century. And the third was Boris Johnson—yes, that Boris Johnson, of the haystack hair and grudge against monogamy, a man whom many of these same MPs had declared to be unfit for office only three months previously. The breakout star of the last leadership election was Kemi Badenoch, who lived in Nigeria until she was 16. Having settled in Southampton, an unremarkable port city in southern England, his mother became a pharmacist and his father a family doctor. Let me be clear about how cringe he can be: The 42-year-old once told a pair of schoolboys that he was a “ By insisting that any potential candidate had to be nominated by 100 of their 356 colleagues, the Tories’ “ At the time, the Conservatives were failing to attract nonwhite voters whose attitudes and circumstances should have made them natural Tories.

Former Treasury chief Rishi Sunak is set to become Britain's next prime minister after the governing Conservative Party chose him as its leader in the hope ...

But Sunak still faces resentment from supporters of Johnson for quitting the government in July, a move that helped topple the then-leader. Tim Bale, professor of politics at Queen Mary University of London, said Sunak's government faces a long list of challenges: weakened public finances, a worsening economic outlook and a wave of strikes amid record-high inflation. Sunak takes over from Liz Truss, who quit last week after 45 tumultuous days in office.

Get yourself educated about Britain's latest prime minister after Liz Truss went down in flames. BRITAIN-ENTERTAINMENT-BFI-FILM- ...

In the latest twist in the saga, Johnson tried — and failed — to strike some kind of unity pact with Sunak this weekend as part of his abortive attempt to get back into No. Somewhat awkwardly for Sunak’s pitch as a clean skin, he [too was fined by police](https://www.politico.eu/article/uk-boris-johnson-and-rishi-sunak-to-be-fined-for-attending-covid19-breaking-parties/). He backed then-Prime Minister Theresa May as she battled to get her compromise withdrawal deal through the House of Commons in the face of opposition from die-hard Brexiteers. In theory, Sunak should have less trouble keeping Conservative MPs in line than Truss, who was never popular with the Parliamentary party and relied on support from grassroots members to get her over the line. now smack bang in the middle of a major economic crisis, and with borrowing costs sky-high off the back of Truss’ disastrous mini-budget last month, nobody’s expecting a bunch of crowd-pleasing giveaways from the new PM. It put Sunak — instinctively a small-state, tax-cutting type — at the helm of the U.K. borrowing costs and bringing in a tax detested by parts of his party to support health and social care spending. He warned her “sugar rush” combo of tax cuts and energy price subsidies would spook the markets and send interest rates soaring — and we now know he was bang on the money. [after a spectacular falling out between Johnson](https://www.politico.eu/article/sajid-javid-quits-as-u-k-chancellor/) and his then-finance chief Sajid Javid (something of a running theme for Johnson). He is a Hindu, and with rather wonderful timing becomes PM during Diwali, the five-day festival of lights. He’s not currently in a government role, having lost out to Liz Truss in the last Tory vote a whopping seven weeks ago. So who is the man the Tories hope will succeed where (deep breath) David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson and now Truss have all failed over the past six and a half years?

Sunak has been mocked online after his first speech was decried as 'static' and robotic.

Mordaunt pulled out of the race with moments to go when it became clear she would not meet the required threshold of 100 MPs backing her. There is much work to be done.” “We now need stability and unity,” Sunak said. Sunak was the clear favourite to take over when Johnson fell on his sword and Conservative MPs backed him to take the top job, but rank-and-file party members felt otherwise and voted in Truss. It all came to a head at the end of Johnson’s time in office when Sunak and Javid were accused of stabbing Johnson in the back by resigning. His furlough scheme, which saw the government pay a portion of people’s wages, helped keep hundreds of thousands of people in a job, and his ”eat out to help out” programme was a hit with families and the hospitality industry. “We all owe it to the country, to each other and to Rishi to unite and work together for the good of the nation. In a statement, Mordaunt called on the party to rally around her rival and said he had her “full support”. Because that is the only way we will overcome the challenges we face and build a better, more prosperous future for our children and our grandchildren. Sunak will become the UK’s first Asian PM and the first practising Hindu to lead the country when he meets King Charles tomorrow. “I pledge that I will serve you with integrity and humility, and I will work day in, day out, to deliver for the British people.” Rishi Sunak has been branded a “robot” and “awkward” after delivering his first speech to the public since winning the race to be the UK’s next Prime Minister.

Former Treasury chief Rishi Sunak was set to become Britain's next prime minister after the governing Conservative Party chose him as its leader on Monday.

The Conservative Party turmoil is fueling demands for a national election. The prospect of a return by Johnson had thrown the already divided Conservative Party into further turmoil. But Sunak still faces resentment from supporters of Johnson for quitting the government in July, a move that helped topple the then-leader. Truss' proposal for aggressive tax cuts that would be paid for through government borrowing pummeled the value of the pound, drove up the cost of government borrowing and home mortgages, and forced emergency Bank of England intervention. Conservative Party leadership candidate Penny Mordaunt, left, and Andrea Leadsom arrive at the BBC studios, in London on Sunday. Liz Truss, right, and Rishi Sunak on stage after a Conservative leadership election hustings at Wembley Arena on August 31.

Rishi Sunak has been branded a “robot” and “awkward” after delivering his first speech to the public since winning the race to be the UK's next Prime Minis.

Mordaunt pulled out of the race with moments to go when it became clear she would not meet the required threshold of 100 MPs backing her. There is much work to be done.” ['We need stability and unity': Rishi Sunak to become UK's next PM](/news/world/rishi-sunak-uks-next-pm-faces-major-economic-problems/?utm_source=zb&utm_campaign=article_link&utm_content=related) [Why Boris Johnson withdrew from UK leadership contest... “We now need stability and unity,” Sunak said. Sunak was the clear favourite to take over when Johnson fell on his sword and Conservative MPs backed him to take the top job, but rank-and-file party members felt otherwise and voted in Truss. It all came to a head at the end of Johnson’s time in office when Sunak and Javid were accused of stabbing Johnson in the back by resigning. His furlough scheme, which saw the government pay a portion of people’s wages, helped keep hundreds of thousands of people in a job, and his ”eat out to help out” programme was a hit with families and the hospitality industry. “We all owe it to the country, to each other and to Rishi to unite and work together for the good of the nation. In a statement, Mordaunt called on the party to rally around her rival and said he had her “full support”. Because that is the only way we will overcome the challenges we face and build a better, more prosperous future for our children and our grandchildren. “I pledge that I will serve you with integrity and humility, and I will work day in, day out, to deliver for the British people.” Rishi Sunak has been branded a “robot” and “awkward” after delivering his first speech to the public since winning the race to be the UK’s next Prime Minister.

Britain's former Chancellor of the Exchequer, Conservative MP, Rishi Sunak leaves from an office in central London on 23 October 2022.

Sunak said he would scrap VAT on domestic energy bills for one year, a policy he had previously opposed as chancellor. Unlike Truss, he did not pledge to raise defence spending to 3 percent of national income by 2030 - instead saying he wants the current 2 percent target to be seen as a floor. He also said he was committed to the UK's target to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. One area where he did commit to cuts, however, was income tax - pledging to lower the basic rate by 4 percent before the end of the next parliament. He also committed to raising corporation tax from 19 percent to 25 percent next April, a policy that remains on course after Truss U-turned on her promise to scrap the rise. As chancellor he raised National Insurance by 1.25p in the pound, a policy he defended throughout the campaign as necessary to fund health spending.

Rishi Sunak is set to become the fifth prime minister in just over six years at a time of economic gloom.

And this for a party blamed by many for what's happened in the last few months, and one that is currently languishing in a desperate spot in the opinion polls. And then it'll be time to shape a government in his own image, while seeking to address the criticism levelled by many at Ms Truss for building an administration that froze out almost all supporters of Mr Sunak. It's the moment when all new prime ministers talk to the country and talk to the archive - the moment that will get played back weeks, months or years later when they leave and will be used to benchmark a point in history, if they're lucky. And one of the many oddities of the last few weeks was a leadership race done at breakneck speed - start to finish in four days - in which we didn't hear a thing in public from two of the three wannabes. And Mr Sunak said no more than the contents of a social media post saying he was in the running. Leading a fractious party, at a time of economic gloom, a war in Europe and without a mandate to call their own from the electorate.

The first 100 days of Rishi Sunak's Britain. New UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak Takes Office. New Conservative Party leader and ...

“The prime minister and chancellor will spend a lot of time thinking about how they replace that scheme. By the time Sunak’s first 100 days are up, there will be pressure on the government to explain how it will support people with their energy bills past the spring if wholesale gas prices haven't drastically fallen. There is also the risk that Sunak himself will be dragged into the probe, given he too was fined over the Partygate scandal. That would likely be the first by-election in a Tory-held seat fought with Sunak as party leader. For Sunak it would represent both a concrete foreign policy achievement and an indication that the U.K. His task now will be to reassure people that the government will support them during another difficult economic period — only this time he is in a much tougher position. Both China and Taiwan have applied to join the CPTPP. Prime ministers tend to think of their first 100 days as a way to set the tone for their premierships. Sunak made combating inflation and keeping mortgages low a central theme of his leadership campaign over the summer. The first big political test for Sunak will be his Cabinet reshuffle. On Monday, Sunak told MPs he was ready to hit the ground running as he addressed them for the first time since becoming Tory leader. He is also likely to hand a big job to his leadership rival Penny Mordaunt.

The United Kingdom has its third leader in two months, after Rishi Sunak won the Conservative Party's latest leadership contest. The former chancellor will ...

The new residents of No. 10 Downing Street will be richer than those in Buckingham Palace. Rishi Sunak, who will become the UK's new Prime Minister, ...

“We now need stability and unity and I will make it my utmost priority to bring our party and our country together,” he said. Boris Johnson, who resigned as PM before Truss, dramatically dropped out of the race as well. Rishi Sunak, who will become the UK’s new Prime Minister, and his wife Akshata Murty have an estimated fortune of £730 million ($1.4 b), according to the Sunday Times 2022 Rich List. “I will now pay UK tax on an arising basis on all my worldwide income, including dividends and capital gains, wherever in the world that income arises. She resigned last week after 44 days in office. She relinquished the status after intense backlash.

Sunak's chief political enemies, Boris Johnson and Liz Truss, are defeated and unlikely to return. Senior Tories from across the party are uniting behind him.

Inside the opposition leader’s office, Sunak is widely thought to be beatable — and one Labour adviser’s verdict was succinct. books — likely through tax hikes and spending cuts — at a time the National Health Service and other parts of the state are already under immense strain. “Frankly, it’s quite obvious that what Rishi was warning of in the summer has come to pass, and hopefully he’s now in a position to rectify it,” said Andrew Bowie, a Conservative MP who was one of Sunak’s early backers. More broadly, he must seek to balance the U.K. We’d rather that we weren’t in the position we are in.” As the summer progressed — despite opinion polls showing his message was not landing well with the Tory grassroots — he began warning Truss’ economic ideas could cause an “inflationary spiral” likely to push up interest rates. We are not like ‘we told you so.’ We just have a big challenge, and we have got to fix it. “It’s not gloating,” one Tory activist insisted. Truss sent the pound crashing to record lows against the dollar while government borrowing costs surged. “We are relieved, overwhelmed, and very privileged — and determined to make it work. The markets are slowly releasing their grip on Britain’s throat. Senior Tories from across the party are uniting behind him.

Ultra rich, young and the first person of colour to become UK prime minister, Rishi Sunak will also make history as the first practising Hindu to lead the ...

[multiple crises lie in Sunak’s in-tray](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/oct/23/most-pressing-issues-next-tory-pm-rishi-sunak-penny-mordaunt-boris-johnson-conservative). As the Guardian wrote in its [editorial](https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/oct/24/the-guardian-view-on-rishi-sunak-profits-in-the-city-austerity-in-the-country) after he won the leadership, “Sunak seems intent on turning off household support for energy bills next April. [so, so, so many](https://www.theguardian.com/education/2017/feb/23/ppe-oxford-university-degree-that-rules-britain) before him. Sunak has gone from MP to prime minister in just seven years – faster than any other PM in the modern era. Sunak’s path to the top wasn’t all smooth. They own four properties spread across the world and valued at more than £15m. The couple married in her home town of Bengaluru in a two-day ceremony in 2009 attended by 1,000 guests. Without that non-dom status she could have been liable for more than £20m of UK taxes on these windfalls, it was reported. According to reports, his daughter has a 0.91% stake in the company, worth about £700m. Sunak was born in Southampton in 1980 to Indian parents who had moved to the UK from east Africa. He later gained a master’s of business administration (MBA) at Stanford University, where he met [Akshata Murty](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/akshata-murty), his future wife, but where [few others remember him](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/aug/05/rishi-sunak-stanford-business-school-few-remember). [multiple donations of over £100,000 to the school](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/apr/05/rishi-sunak-and-wife-donate-over-100000-to-winchester-college?utm_term=Autofeed&CMP=twt_b-gdnnews&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1649174389).

New Tory leader says he will put an end to party's psychodrama and focus on 'policies not personalities'

Sunak told MPs “we’ve got time before the next election” but said this was their last chance. Michael Gove, who made a series of calls to wavering MPs for Sunak over the weekend, is also tipped for a return. The message we heard was about going forward – as a party and a government this is about the future and shaping the future. We will play the hand we have got, but it is not an inevitable threat we face … “The Tories have crowned Rishi Sunak as prime minister without him saying a single word about how he would run the country and without anyone having the chance to vote,” she said. In a remarkably brief statement on his election, Sunak said the country would “face a profound economic challenge … Simon Hoare, a longtime Sunak backer, said: “He said we could not pretend the last few weeks and months had been easy or edifying or helpful. Jeremy Hunt is expected to stay on as chancellor though Sunak has not made a direct commitment. Mordaunt has told allies she is expecting a “big job” – potentially foreign secretary. His victory was assured shortly before 2pm when his only remaining rival, Penny Mordaunt, [narrowly failed](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/oct/24/penny-mordaunt-was-fewer-than-10-mps-shy-of-making-ballot-against-rishi-sunak) to attract the required 100 nominations from Conservative MPs. Others in line for a return to the cabinet include Sunak’s closest ally, Oliver Dowden, the former party chairman, and the former home secretary Suella Braverman, who became an influential Sunak backer over the weekend. His allies briefed he would reach across the party, in stark contrast to the divisive purges of Liz Truss or Boris Johnson.

The U.K.'s new prime minister and his wife, the daughter of an Indian tech billionaire, have a collective net worth higher than the personal fortune of King ...

[she confirmed in April](https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-61027058) that she had “non-domicile” status in the U.K.—allowing her to avoid dividend and capital gains taxes in Britain. Born in Southampton to parents of Indian descent who emigrated from East Africa, Sunak attended the exclusive Winchester College boarding school and waited tables at an Indian restaurant during summer breaks. Through a spokeswoman, Murthy told the BBC that she paid about $34,000 a year to maintain that status, a fee charged if a person has lived in the U.K. Murthy is also a director at and owns a small stake in boutique gym chain Digme Fitness, which was hard-hit by the Covid-19 pandemic and was Altogether, Forbes estimates Sunak and his wife Murthy are worth roughly $810 million—more than a quarter of a billion dollars richer than the [$500 million personal fortune of King Charles III](https://www.forbes.com/sites/giacomotognini/2022/09/15/how-rich-is-king-charles-iii-inside-the-new-monarchs-outrageous-fortune/). Murthy’s firm was also [reportedly an early investor](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-05-30/rishi-sunak-s-wife-akshata-murty-builds-catamaran-ventures-ties-to-rich-families#xj4y7vzkg) in dara5, a private investment company established by a member of Qatar's ruling family. As an Indian citizen, Murthy is a tax resident of her home country and Murthy drew scrutiny for her tax status earlier this year, when Sunak served as Chancellor of the Exchequer—Britain's finance minister and the No. [contest for leadership of the Conservative Party,](https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2022/10/24/rishi-sunak-selected-as-britains-next-prime-minister-heres-what-to-know/?sh=35780cd37691) Rishi Sunak is set to become the United Kingdom’s next prime minister. Besides her stake in Infosys, she owns Catamaran Ventures UK, the British branch of her father’s venture capital and private equity firm. [reportedly spending](https://www.standard.co.uk/homesandproperty/celebrity-homes/rishi-sunak-luxury-property-portfolio-b993765.html) $450,000 to install a leisure center with a 40-foot swimming pool, a gym and an outdoor tennis court. Narayana Murthy](https://www.forbes.com/profile/nr-narayana-murthy/), the cofounder and retired chairman of Indian tech giant Infosys, whose net worth is estimated by Forbes at $4.5 billion.

People across India are celebrating Rishi Sunak, who has embraced his Indian and Hindu heritage, becoming the newest British prime minister.

She has since resigned ( [over another matter](https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-63320750)), and Indian authorities [say](https://www.livemint.com/news/india/india-counters-uk-home-secretary-suella-braverman-claim-on-visa-overstayers-11665131254204.html) they're working with British authorities to "facilitate the return of Indian citizens who have overstayed their visa period." tax on all of her income](https://www.ft.com/content/ed018eb2-3955-4134-a2b0-8dcf727651bd), amid allegations she had taken advantage of a loophole to minimize how much she pays.) chancellor of the exchequer lighting Diwali diyas](https://twitter.com/rishisunak/status/1327553814845677573) – earthen oil lamps – on the steps of his No. [a Diwali deadline for a U.K.-Indian trade deal](https://www.reuters.com/world/britain-still-wants-free-trade-deal-with-india-by-diwali-2022-10-12/). [Video of the then-U.K. Sunak as the prime minister of the U.K. Sunak's face is [splashed across the front pages of Indian newspapers](https://twitter.com/joerwallen/status/1584774108436656129/photo/1) Tuesday, as his ancestral homeland celebrates his achievement – 75 years after Indians cast off British colonial rule. [comments earlier this month ](https://www.telegraphindia.com/world/liz-truss-sacks-suella-braverman-whose-attack-on-indian-visa-overstayers-sank-uk-hopes-of-india-trade-deal/cid/1893165)by Britain's then-home minister, Suella Braverman – who herself is of Indian descent — alleging Indians are the worst overstayers of U.K. (A stakeholder in that company, Akshata Murthy is one of Britain's richest residents, and earlier this year [said she would voluntarily start paying U.K. He's the first Hindu and first person of color to become British prime minister. [In previous interviews with Indian media](https://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/lunch-with-bs-rishi-sunak-115080601060_1.html), the incoming prime minister recalled how both of his grandfathers were born in Punjab, in British India, and migrated first to Africa, then to Britain in the 1960s. Special Diwali wishes to the 'living bridge' of UK Indians, as we transform our historic ties into a modern partnership.