The New Prime Minister of the United Kingdom: Who is He?
We’ve all heard of Liz Truss’ exit from office. She is the fourth leader and prime minister of the Conservative Party in the last six years. Additionally, she is also the Queen’s 15th prime minister and among the power 3 women who held the seat. The Prime Minister has the shortest reign of any Prime Minister in British history with her 44-day service. This is due to a lower tax budget that plummeted the financial markets which caused a rebellion within her own party (the Conservatives). Truss has decided to resign as prime minister because she was unable to fulfill the mandate.
Holding the seat upon Liz Truss’ exit currently, is the first person of color (POC) Prime Minister of Great Britain: Rishi Sunak. The current Prime Minister of Britain is a 42-year-old former finance minister. Furthermore, he led the revolt against Boris Johnson and also the runner-up to Liz Truss. Despite the conflicts, Rishi Sunak has come out victorious anyway by succeeding them both and became Britain’s 3rd leader, in less than 2 months.
As the saying goes “With big power, comes big responsibility. Henceforth, with the damage done, he has to improve the country’s economy and gain the public’s trust in the Conservative Party. Upholding pride, Sunak expressed gratitude to Truss for having led Britain with dignity under great difficult circumstances and in times of great change.
Despite all of this knowledge, who is Rishi Sunak and what does he bring to the position? We know he is a POC, and his parents are of Indian origin. Moreover, he received support from both Indians and those of Indian heritage after assuming the position of Prime Minister. Even while his victory has little direct meaning for India, it is a major deal for those who are of Indian descent. Additionally, it’s encouraging to see that there aren’t many objections about him being a person of color. This illustrates how many people are more accepting of people of color in British politics. What’s important is that he remarked that he wishes to give back to the country that he owes so much and the party that he cherishes.
However, there are some racist comments that came from a Boris Johnson supporter. The comment labeled him as not even British and claimed that he does not love England. This doesn’t go unnoticed by Sunak. He is aware that racism exists but he implores that everyone is better because “a better society does not happen overnight”. Things can change, slowly.
However, because of his social privileges, many youths might find it hard to have confidence in him as their Prime Minister. This is because, first, Rishi Sunak is among the wealthiest individuals in Britain, which is another crucial point to remember. Combined, He and his wife Akshata Murty are reported to be worth over 730 million pounds ($827 million). He now has a considerably larger fortune than the royal family. Secondly, a video clip of him in a documentary in 2007 for BBC could possibly be ‘viral’ to taint his image. In the video, Sunak suggested that he does not have any working-class friends which signifies his fortune. Despite all of this, it’s significant to point out that Sunak saw his parents give back to their community, and as a result, he wishes to change the world for the better.
Little help goes a long way. This perhaps goes in hand with how Malaysia had a Bajet 2022 with a program named ‘Peace Protection Voucher Program’ on 1st January 2022. The voucher that was originally RM50 increased to RM75 and the help matters to many Malaysians. The Minister of Finance, Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz advised the people to buy comprehensive medical insurance policy Malaysia and a comprehensive motorcycle insurance policy for motorcycles with 150cc and below.
Regarding his educational background, Rishi Sunak studies at an elite private school where he became a head boy with excellent academic history. After that, he continued to study at the University of Oxford where he dives into politics, philosophy, and economics. This signifies how Sunak worked hard and put everything into his work.
Why Are There No Elections?
While the people want an election, it’s more complicated than that. The UK has adopted a parliamentary system. Therefore, the party that won the majority seats gets to pick its leader. Currently, it is the Conservative Party. Regarding the legitimacy of a government, it’s a complicated matter to discuss when it comes to the UK because there is no written constitution about the subject. However, it is important that the leader has the House of Commons majority support.
That is why the Conservative Party stays but the leader of the party changes. When a leader loses the House of Commons’ confidence, then they are expected to resign. With that in mind, the election is seen as unnecessary which is why Sunak and Truss are able to hold the high seat without the public’s vote. There is also the conflict that when an election is held, then the system will constantly change which is a hassle for the people, the government, and the country.
