• 10 things to know about first Indian-origin UK PM, Rishi Sunak

    International
    10 things to know about first Indian-origin UK PM, Rishi Sunak
    Sunak, who was born to Indian parents who immigrated to the UK from East Africa, went to Oxford and the prestigious Winchester College private school.

    Digital Desk: Rishi Sunak on Monday made history after being elected unopposed as the new leader of the governing Conservative Party and subsequently the next prime minister of the United Kingdom, following Penny Mordaunt's withdrawal from the race. 

    The 42-year-old former chancellor was clearly in the lead after garnering the support of more than half of the 357 Tory MPs, far more than the 100 needed to make the shortlist.

    Sir Graham Brady, head of the key 1922 Committee of backbencher MPs, said in the Parliament complex that he had only received one nomination, making Sunak the winner of the leadership race in time for the deadline of 1400 local time on Monday.

    This denotes that Sunak is prepared to enter 10 Downing Street in London following a meeting with King Charles III in Buckingham Palace, the timing of which will be announced soon.

    Who is the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Rishi Sunak?

    1. Up until recently, Rishi Sunak was thought of as the party's brightest up-and-comer, the most well-known potential leader, and the betting favourite to follow Johnson.

    2. Akshata Murthy, a British-Indian fashion designer and the daughter of the Infosys founder, is married to Rishi Sunak.

    3. Sunak, 42, who was appointed treasury chief in 2020 and given the difficult responsibility of guiding the country through its worst economic collapse on record as a result of the pandemic, was pushed into the spotlight.

    4. His emergency investment of billions of pounds went to helping businesses and workers, and his measures have largely been viewed positively.

    5. However, "partygate" reversed such results. He received a police fine, just like Johnson, for going to a birthday celebration at Downing Street in June 2020 that flouted the lockdown.

    6. Rishi Sunak has also received a lot of flak for his tardiness in reacting to Britain's acute cost-of-living crisis.

    7. Sunak, who was born to Indian parents who immigrated to the UK from East Africa, went to Oxford and the prestigious Winchester College private school.

    8. Because he appears disconnected from regular voters, others view his elite education and his employment with the investment bank Goldman Sachs and a hedge fund as a weakness.

    9. Sunak also came under pressure after it was discovered that his wife Akshata Murthy had failed to pay U.K. taxes on her foreign earnings and that the former investment banker had continued to use his U.S. green card while working for the government.

    10. Shortly after UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid, a senior Cabinet member, announced his retirement, the 42-year-old British Indian minister released his letter of resignation on Twitter.