Rishi Sunak launches bid to be Britain’s next prime minister


Rishi Sunak, once one of former UK PM Boris Johnson’s trusted ministers, has dropped his campaign for election as Britain’s next prime minister and the leader of the Tories.

“I’m standing to be the next leader of the Conservative Party and your Prime Minister. Let’s restore trust, rebuild the economy and reunite the country,” Sunak, the son-in-law of Infosys founder Narayan Murthy, tweeted with the hashtag ‘Ready4Rishi’.

The post has a nearly three-minute-long video that encapsulates his life, starting from how his parents struggled to establish themselves, met each other, got married and how the UK gave “millions the chance of a better future”.

“Someone has to grip this moment and make the right decisions. That’s why I am standing to be the next leader of the Conservative Party and your Prime Minister,” the 42-year-old Indian-origin MP from Richmond announced.

The video has been shared and liked by around 10,000 Twitter users in 30 minutes.

Boris Johnson’s Finance Minister is one of the favourites to replace Johnson as the next prime minister. He first became an MP in 2015 from Richmond, Yorkshire, and quickly rose through the Conservative party ranks, backing calls for ‘Brexit’. He was one of the supporters of Boris Johnson during his ‘leave EU’ campaign.

Sunak made history in 2020 when he was appointed to the most important UK Cabinet post – Chancellor of the Exchequer. The minister gained popularity for his economic package to aid businesses and employees as an unprecedented pandemic gripped the country and the world.

However, his massive popularity took a huge hit following the ‘partygate’ scandal. Boris Johnson, his ministers and aides were caught breaching Covid rules and organising lockdown parties at government offices, including 10 Downing Street. Sunak was even fined by the London Police.

The scandal proved to be the death knell for the political career of Boris Johnson, who soon found himself inundated with resignations.

Rishi Sunak’s and then Health Secretary Sajid Javid’s resignations hurt Johnson the most. The two cited Johnson’s handling of ethics scandals, including the case of a senior official accused of sexual misconduct, as reasons for them stepping down.

Also Read: | Who is Rishi Sunak, one of the favourites to replace Boris Johnson as British PM

— ENDS —





Source link