In 1980 Rishi Sunak was born in Southampton, United Kingdom. The city had a tiny Indian community. Rishi’s father was a doctor and his mother was a pharmacist. He is one of three children. Mr. Sunak’s parents were born in East Africa to Indian parents. Sunak’s grandparents emigrated from British India. One of his grandparents was born in what is now Pakistan.
The Sunak family profess the Hindu faith. Sunak wears a cast wrist band. He also abstains from alcohol.
Rishi sat the scholarship exam for Winchester College. He was unsuccessful. He was admitted to the school as a commoner – as in his parents had to pay fees. He did very well and ended up as head boy of he school. In his school holidays he worked as a waiter.
AFter school, Rishi went to Oxford University to read Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE). Oxford University is divided into 39 colleges. Rishi went to Lincoln College.
At university Rishi eschewed politics. He put his nose in his books and was awarded a double first class degree. Then he began his career with Goldman Sachs.
After a couple of years he went to Stanford University in the United States to study for a Master’s of Business Administration (MBA). He was awarded this degree. In California he met Akshata Murthy who is the daughter of one of the richest men in India. Mr. Murthy founded Info Sys (Information Systems) which is a computer company.
Akshata and Rishi began a relationship. They got engaged. They then had a lavish wedding. The couple were blessed with a brace of daughters.
Sunak and his bride moved back to the United Kingdom. They retained their green cards. His wife chose not to become a British citizen. She retained her Indian tax residency. She is non domiciled in the UK for tax purposes.
By the age of 30 Rishi was a self made multi millionaire. He retired from banking. He had been a Conservative since his school days when that was very unfashionable particularly for someone of an Asian background.
Rishi got onto the Conservatives’ candidates list. He was selected for the safe Conservative constituency of Richmond in Yorkshire. The incumbent William Hague was a former leader of the party and he was Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary. Hague had announced his intention to stand down from the House of Commons at the 2015 election.
In 2015 Sunak was elected MP for Richmond (Yorkshire). He had bought a house in the constituency to show commitment to the area. His wife and children spent most of their time in London.
In 2016 Sunak campaigned for a Leave vote in the Brexit referendum. This was against the grain for a banker.
Sunak rose fast in the Conservative Government. He was made Chancellor of the Exchequer in 2019. In 2020 he had to shepherd the UK’s economy through coronavirus. Businesses could apply for a GBP 45 000 loan no questions asked. Some enterprising fraudsters created bogus businesses and registered them online with Companies House. They then applied for a GB 45 000 loan. The Treasury was so overwhelmed by the number of claims. They waved them through without checking them. It did not notice that some of the so called businesses had been founded the day that the claim was made!
In July 2022 Rishi resigned from the cabinet because Boris Johnson had lied over the Chris Pincher affair. In what must have been an orchestrated move a dozen other cabinet ministers tendered their resignations. Boris Johnson was brought down in 24 hours.
In August 2022 there was a leadership contest. Eight people were nominated. Jeremy Hunt was soon eliminated. Nadhim Zahawi the then Chancellor of the Exchequer was knocked out. Rishi Sunak led from the first among the Members of Parliament (MPs). Some other MPs who were in the contest were knocked out in rounds of voting among Conservative MPs: Suella Braverman and then Kemi Badenoch.
To everyone’s surprise Liz Truss was in the final two. Most thought it would be Penny Mordaunt.
The final two were Rishi and Liz Truss. They went around the UK addressing Conservative Associations. The membership voted for Liz. The result was announced that 47% of party members voted for her. 41% voted for Rishi. The rest did not vote.
Liz Truss became Prime Minister on 6 September. On 8 September the Queen died.
Truss did not have Sunak in her cabinet. He remained on the backbenches.
Truss wrought enormous economic damage in record time. Her won party was aghast. Eventually her party turned against her. She was forced out.
Liz Truss resigned as PM on October 25. Rishi was summoned to Buckingham Palace to be appointed Prime Minister.
Rishi continued with most of Truss’ cabinet. However, he reappointed Suella Braverman as Home Secretary only 5 days after she had resigned over the misuse of a private email on official business.
Sunak’s appointment was greeted with general relief. His primary has has been to restore the economy ‘s health. The Pound Sterling rgeaine value under him. Inflation has still been bad but has fallen.