Rishi Sunak Becomes UK PM: At 42, First Indian-Origin British Prime Minister Is the Youngest To Hold Top Office in Over 200 Years
It was another former Prime Minister Boris Johnson who gave Sunak his first major government role when he first appointed him as the Chief Secretary to the Treasury in 2019, and as the Chancellor in 2020. Sunak won popularity during the early weeks of the pandemic when he unveiled an extensive support plan for those unable to work during lockdown.
London, October 24: Conservative party's Rishi Sunak will become the first Hindu and the first person of colour to become Britain's Prime Minister. At the age of 42, he is also the youngest person to take the office in more than 200 years. The result of Monday's contest caps a spectacularly rapid rise to the pinnacle of British politics, CNN reported.
Sunak was first elected as an MP in 2015 and spent two years on the backbenches, during which Brexit dominated the political agenda. Sunak supported leaving the EU during the 2016 referendum. He subsequently became a junior minister in former Prime Minister Theresa May's government. Rishi Sunak Set To Become New UK PM: Britain's First Indian-Origin Prime Minister Wants to Change UK-India Relationship to Make It More Two-Way Exchange.
It was another former Prime Minister Boris Johnson who gave Sunak his first major government role when he first appointed him as the Chief Secretary to the Treasury in 2019, and as the Chancellor in 2020. Sunak won popularity during the early weeks of the pandemic when he unveiled an extensive support plan for those unable to work during lockdown.
But the "Partygate" scandal that took down Boris Johnson also tarnished his reputation, and he became archrivals with Johnson after quitting his government earlier this year. Rishi Sunak Scripts History, Set To Be First Indian-Origin UK Prime Minister After Winning Conservative Party Leadership Election.
Sunak has remained tight-lipped on his policy plan in the last few days but he was widely seen as the more moderate of the two candidates in the last leadership contest over the summer. Compared to Liz Truss, he took a softer line on matters like Brexit and the economy, CNN reported.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 24, 2022 09:22 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).