Rishi Sunak is Britain’s newest Prime Minister, the third person to hold the role in seven weeks.
Ynet NewsBoris Ousted. In December 2019, Boris Johnson led the Conservative Party to a dominating victory in the general elections, securing a sound mandate to navigate the United Kingdom’s official departure from the European Union — Brexit. The following month, he delivered on his party’s promise to formally leave the E.U., ending years of political deadlock that had plagued his predecessors. Yet Johnson’s rise to stardom came to a screeching halt with a series of scandals, specifically “Partygate” — revelations that the Prime Minister held several illegal parties at his residence during the Covid-19 lockdowns. Amid mounting scandals and Johnson’s plummeting popularity, a wave of high-profile officials within his government stepped down, prompting Boris to follow suit — announcing his resignation on July 7, 2022.
Johnson’s resignation set off a leadership race, as eight Tories (Conservatives) sought to take over his role as head of the Conservative Party. Conservative MPs (Members of Parliament) whittled the field down to two — Rishi Sunak and then-Foreign Secretary Liz Truss. Those two then faced a vote among the Conservative Party membership — 172,000 people or roughly 0.3% of the United Kingdom’s total electorate — where Truss prevailed. As the new leader of the Conservative Party — the largest party in Parliament — she became the Prime Minister on September 6.
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Truss’ Brief Stint. Truss took office promising to deliver a “bold plan to cut taxes and grow our economy.” Yet her economic agenda — the “mini-budget” — laid out billions of pounds of unfunded tax cuts, sending financial markets into chaos. Seemingly without a plan to pay for the reforms, investors worried about a ballooning national debt. The pound’s value plummeted, and interest rates soared, prompting Britain’s central bank to step in and limit the damage. After the debacle, Truss replaced her finance minister, and the new appointee promptly reversed almost her entire economic plan. With her credibility with Parliament in tatters, Truss stepped down after 44 days in office, becoming the shortest-serving Prime Minister in British history.
Sunak’s Return. Following Truss’ departure, another leadership election ensued. As the runner-up from the last race, Sunak was a strong frontrunner and was the first to qualify to run. Some observers speculated that Johnson might try to make a comeback bid, but he ended the speculation last weekend by publicly announcing he would not run. Sunak’s sole opponent — Penny Mordaunt — dropped out of the race shortly before the Monday deadline. With Sunak as the only remaining option, he became the leader of the Conservative Party. On Tuesday, King Charles formally appointed Sunak as the new Prime Minister.
The New PM. Rishi Sunak is the first Prime Minister of Indian descent, a historic achievement from the subcontinent British forces colonized in the 19th century. Under Boris Johnson, Sunak served as Chancellor, the chief financial minister in the British government. Throughout the pandemic, he received widespread praise for introducing programs to help keep the economy afloat. However, his term was not without controversy. Amid the Partygate scandal, police fined him for attending the illegal house parties, and the public was outraged following reports that Sunak’s multimillionaire wife was not paying taxes in the U.K. on her fortune.
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A New Approach? As Britain stands on the verge of economic chaos, some observers hope Sunak’s expertise can help the nation avoid the looming financial crisis. Before turning to politics, he worked as a financial analyst at Goldman Sachs and held several financial roles in the government. During his contest against Truss to become the next Prime Minister, Sunak accused her of “fairy tale” economics. He correctly predicted that Truss’ unfunded tax cuts would spook the markets, leading to turmoil. Addressing the many economic problems facing the British public is essential for Sunak’s longevity in the Prime Minister’s office.
Tory Collapse? The Tory Party has seen some measurable opposition from their own ranks — most notably during the Brexit movement with the surge in UKIP and the brief-lived Brexit Party. However, for the most part, the Tories survived due to the failures of their opposition. Left-leaning parties such as the Liberal Democrats, Greens, and Labour parties have continuously split liberal votes — denying a majority in Parliament. Some have argued that those at the forefront of the parties, such as Labour’s Jeremy Corbyn, represented too radical of a figure for party unity to exist. However, with Keir Starmer replacing Corbyn as Labour’s leader, combined with the failures of the Tory leadership, the walls of opposition surrounding Tory rule have begun to tighten
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Undemocratic? During the leadership race to replace Johnson, some Britons questioned why such a relatively small group of people — the Conservative Party membership — picked the next Prime Minister. Yet, in the latest contest, that group narrowed even further. Analysts believe that Tory MPs, desperate to avoid another vote among Conservative Party members, sought to put forward a single candidate (Sunak). These MPs believed the party’s grassroots might select someone inexperienced or less appealing to the broader public. Critics say this system leaves millions of people without their voices heard in who serves as their leader. As such, opposition parties — which have surged in polling — insist the Prime Minister must call an early election, although such a move seems highly unlikely.
Conservative leadership of the United Kingdom has been a continued trainwreck. They have shown a callous and reckless disregard for the British people’s health and well-being. Their disastrous economic policies have contributed to a slew of crises, wreaking havoc on the public. The Tories have left the country on the verge of absolute collapse. The new Prime Minister must call an early election, so the Conservative Party faces the consequences of its failed leadership.
Time and time again, when Conservatives fail to act conservatively, they inevitably fail. Johnson broke his own tyrannical lockdown rules and Truss backed down on her economic proposal. These are weak moves unfitting for Tory leadership. Rishi Sunak has talked a big game about promoting a strong and patriotic Britain — a promise time will soon unveil.
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