Rishi Sunak has made history by being appointed Britain’s first ever Indian and ethnic-origin prime minister on the auspicious day of Diwali, as well as the leader of the Conservative Party. It’s a spectacular moment in UK’s history, where a child of an immigrant takes the responsibility of running the country, where the Indian population is no more than 1.5 million. In September, during his leadership campaign, in an interview, he emphasised that Britain is ready for an Indian-origin prime minister and his ethnicity is not a barrier. Though Liz Truss, with the backing of Boris Johnson’s supporters, beat him in the race, in seven weeks, the tables have turned.
Sunak, who has two siblings, was raised by a pharmacist mother and doctor father in Southampton, where he is still actively involved in the local temple work. His wife Akshata, a fashion designer, is the daughter of Infosys owner and billionaire N.R. Narayana Murthy and social worker and author Sudha Murthy. Rishi was the first Indian chancellor and had made history by putting Diwali diyas at the doorstep of his 11 Downing Street residence in 2020. The community in the UK is planning parties and celebrations, as they welcome Sunak as their new PM.
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As Rishi takes charge, promising ‘integrity, professionalism and accountability’, there are many hurdles in front of him.
First, he has the challenge of uniting the Conservative Party, which is widely divided at the moment. But MPs believe Sunak will be able to unite the party and get it ready to win the 2024 election against Labour. He is also most likely to swing the Asian votes in London and other parts of the UK from Labour to Conservative, provided he can have a balanced and sensible cabinet and useful and practical policies.
Still many Britons believe Sunak cannot stop the Labour Party from winning the next election, but Jake Berry, the new Chair of the Conservative Party, said, “We have a proven track record of winning elections and engaging with local communities. Just two weeks back, despite the polls, we won a historic by-election in Leicester and took a seat off Labour. It shows how on the ground the message of the Conservatives is one that truly resonates with voters up and down the country.”
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Second, the UK's economic crisis and currency that have particularly suffered ever since Liz Truss’s mini budget, need to be fixed right away. But that also means there will be immediate tax increases and sharp spending cuts. Worries are that areas such as healthcare, education and pension funds may be affected the most. It is forecast that schools will run out of cash next year. The NHS has been under severe pressure with lack of funds and workers, and this winter will be a challenging one. National Rail and Royal Mail have been on repeated strikes; at the same time, the Royal College of Nursing in its 106 years of history, is recommending an industrial action.
Though Pound Sterling immediately went up against US Dollar after Sunak’s appointment, next year, Britain is predicted to see a deep recession, which means more austerity, job losses and spending cuts.
Sunak will have to address the country’s inflation, national debt, cost of living and energy crisis. He will have to help common people ensure they have food on the table and heating at home at the same time and don’t ever need to choose between either. It is going to be an incredibly difficult few months for Britons, and it is on Sunak and his cabinet to stabilise the economic issues.
Third, Sunak who voted to exit the EU will now have to deal with post-Brexit trade complications, especially in Northern Ireland.
Fourth, the UK-India relations and the pending completion of FTA will also be under focus. With the failure of a completion by deadline, many have blamed the ex-home secretary Suella Braverman’s take on immigration and lashing out at India to affect the bilateral relationship between the two countries. Though MEA has dismissed the report, no one can deny, her comments have definitely rocked the boat.
The Tory party has repeatedly spoken about “cutting immigration by tens and thousands”- the mandate that won them three consecutive general elections and Brexit. But now, due to the severe shortage of staff in most industries, people are eager to see Sunak’s take on UK immigration and his contribution to the UK-India relationship and its future.
Fifth, his foreign policy needs to look after Ukraine and its current situation. Former prime minister Boris Johnson was extremely passionate about Ukraine’s war against Russia, and Britain has already provided military aid worth £2mn – much more than the US. One is yet to see what Sunak would do as the new PM as well as his reaction and policies towards China, though he has promised not to change the previous government’s stance on Ukraine.
Rupanjana Dutta is a foreign correspondent based in London, writing about UK-India relationship, race, ethnicity and diaspora stories. You can follow her on Twitter @RupanjanaDutta
