Indian origin Rishi Sunak, has been elected as the leader of the UK’s Conservative Party and will become the next Prime Minister of Britain after Theresa May resigned on Friday. Only 40 years old, Rishi Sunak will be the youngest prime minister ever to lead the United Kingdom, a country known as one of the oldest democracies in the world.
Who is Rishi Sunak?
Rishi Sunak was born in Mombasa, Kenya, to an English mother and a Gujarati father. Both of his parents were doctors working with humanitarian organizations. His father worked for Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) and started a medical school in Uganda before moving back to India. Rishi studied medicine at King’s College London for three years before graduating from Magdalene College, Cambridge with a double first in history.
How did he get into Politics?
The British parliament has elected its first-ever black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) member. Rishi Sunak has beaten four rivals to become MP for Richmond in London, with just over 90 per cent of votes from fellow Tory MPs.
What are his Political beliefs?
Rishi Sunak, 46, was born in Luton to parents from India, who had moved to Britain. He graduated from Oxford University in 1993 and worked as a merchant banker with JP Morgan Chase for a decade before turning to politics. Sunak also served as an advisor on international issues to former British PM David Cameron.
Why are people calling him the British Modi?
Sunak’s background should not be seen in a negative light. The fact that he has been able to enter politics and even lead his country’s ruling party, speaks volumes about Britain’s inclusivity. Sunak didn’t have to face barriers that politicians like Barack Obama and Canada’s current prime minister did while they were campaigning for public office.
How does this affect India?
The news will come as a shock to Indian PM Narenda Modi. The two nations have been at loggerheads over many issues in recent years, and relations have fallen to an all time low since India’s surgical strikes on Pakistan last year. Now Britain’s next PM will not be closely tied to Modi and may even seek to ease tensions between both countries by softening Britain’s stance on Kashmir and other issues.
What can we learn from his success?
In interviews Rishi Sunak talks about his journey to becoming a British MP and what makes him think he will make a great prime minister. Here are some highlights from his career: *Rishi was born in India, but moved to Britain with his parents when he was three years old. He was educated at Winchester College and later graduated from Balliol College, Oxford University, where he studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE). *He worked for JP Morgan in London before moving back to India to work for Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) in Mumbai. He returned after four years with TCS, which had by then become one of India’s largest companies. *In 2015, he ran as Conservative candidate in Thirsk and Malton, winning it by only 817 votes over Labour. It was considered a surprise victory because it has been held by Labour since 1945. *In 2016, Sunak became Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to Chancellor Philip Hammond. The following year he became PPS to Home Secretary Amber Rudd before being promoted again last month to PPS to Theresa May herself.
