Rishi Sunak announces official bid for UK Prime Minister

This is the second time in less than four months that Sunak, 42, has competed for the role. Over the summer, the former chancellor reached the final round of the race to succeed Boris Johnson before losing to Truss when party members were voted on.

Unknown before his promotion in 2020 as Johnson’s finance minister, Sunack has since built a reputation for attention to financial detail and a pragmatic approach to managing the country’s finances, an image he created by guiding the country through the economic chaos unleashed by the coronavirus. pandemic. He and Johnson became something of a paradoxical double act at the head of the British government: while the prime minister appealed to the audience with a unique sense of humor, Sunak played the sensible accountant in the chamber.

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Sunday’s announcement makes Sunak the first – and so far only – officially announced candidate to have collected the 100 nominations from fellow lawmakers required by 2 p.m. Monday to appear on the party’s ballot, according to public tally. If more than one candidate exceeds the threshold, MPs will select two to be put to an online vote by the party members, With expected results October 28.

As of Sunday, Johnson, Sunak’s strongest rival, appeared to be the former prime minister whose resignation in July sparked Britain’s current wave of political chaos. in tweet It contains his official message Resignation As Johnson’s finance minister, which prompted a wave of others to resign and eventually forced Johnson to resign, Sunak said the public deserved a government that behaves “correctly, competently and seriously”.

on Saturday, Reports in the British media The two men – who worked side by side – said they were having late-night talks, fueling speculation that the two could strike a deal to put their rivalry aside and forge a joint ticket.

If Sunak is eventually elected, he will become the country’s first prime minister South Asian origin. He was born in Southampton, England, to parents of Indian origin who immigrated from East Africa.

A number of Conservative lawmakers and former allies of Johnson, including former Cabinet members Sajid Javed And the Gavin WilliamsonThey announced their support for Sunak.

In a major coup for the Sunak camp, Soyla Braverman – the rising star within the party’s right-wing whose resignation as interior minister last week spurred Truss’s resignation – has thrown her weight behind the former finance minister, arguing that it provides stability amid the “severe distress” the country currently finds itself in.

“I need a leader who will tidy up our house and put a steady and meticulous hand on the crane. That person for me is Rishi Sunak. telegraph Sunday newspaper.

And in a major blow to Johnson’s chances, David Frost – who was responsible for negotiating the Brexit deal and later gave Johnson a seat in the House of Lords – declared on Saturday that it was time to “move forward” from the former prime minister.

Many of Sunak’s supporters seek to portray him as a stabilizing candidate capable of ending the chaos of recent months. Sunak’s supporters also noted that during the leadership contest against Truss this summer, his candidacy garnered the most support from his fellow parliamentarians.

However, critics within the Conservative Party worry that he is out of touch with voters and has Accuse him of disloyalty Johnson – the main source of contention for many grassroots party members among whom Johnson remains very popular.

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Educated in one of Britain’s most prestigious Private schools – like Johnson – Sunak have a scintillating resume, with degrees from Oxford University, Stanford University and a tenure at Goldman Sachs. One of Britain’s richest politicians, he is married to Indian technology heiress Akshata Murthy, whose tax status in Sunak has caused some political matters. Discomfort during his leadership campaign in the summer.

And a video clip from 2007 BBC Documentaryin which Sunak suggests he doesn’t have any “working-class friends”, is redistributing online as some Britons deplore a group of conservative upper-class rivals.

Nevertheless, Sunak is still very popular among conservative politicians, although he is less fortunate among the National Party members, who favored Truss in September with 57.4 percent versus 42.6 percent in Sunak.

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To his supporters, Sunak is a steady hand in the economy’s drive, as he correctly predicted the market crisis triggered by Truss’ policies when he cut taxes and sent the British pound down. He described the economic reforms proposed by Truss The economics of “fairy tale” Before you take office, an appraiser is likely to lend credence to his image of financial responsibility.

However, the smudge on his record is his association with “Party Gate” The scandal that overthrew the Johnson government. Like the boss, it was Sunak London Metropolitan Police fined While in office attending rallies at 10 Downing Street while the British were under the ruthless imposition of the government Corona Virus closing restrictions. Some critics, such as the former Conservative Party leader, Ian Duncan SmithNote that record-high levels of inflation in the UK began during Sunak’s tenure as an advisor.

As of Sunday afternoon BBC number Of the publicly announced Conservative MPs they gave Sunak 146, Johnson 57, and Benny Mordaunt 24.