Rishi Sunak was elected as the 57th Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on Tuesday. He is the third Prime Minister in 50 days, after a rebellion in the ruling Conservative Party.
It is a pride moment for both India and Pakistan, as Sunak shares his ancestry between the two countries. The grandparents of Sunak were from British India but their birthplace was Gujranwala which now lies in Pakistan, making Sunak a pride of India and Pakistan.
Sunak entered politics in 2015, when he was elected Member of Parliament for Richmond. Later, in 2020, he was elected Chancellor of the Exchequer, a position he held until 2022.
In the year 2019, he became the Chief Secretary to the Treasury and served till 2020.
Challenges before Rishi Sunak
It should be noted that Britain is currently in the midst of one of the most serious economic and political crises. Even though Sunak did not join the political dom in 2015, the country’s economic blackout was evident. The fact that Sunak is the third Prime Minister elected in 50 days, following Boris Johnson and Liz Truss, clearly demonstrates the political crisis.
Sunak reiterated to British citizens in his first address that the country’s pressing political and economic crisis has been exacerbated by the acceptance of COVID-19 lockdown.
Further, the war between Russia and Ukraine also acted as a catalyst to the delegated political and economic circumstances. The energy market and supply chains were destabilised in the aftermath of the war.
Sunak, though, is resolved to restore order and has scheduled the presentation of a medium-term fiscal statement to Parliament on October 31.
Aside from that, he asserted to the citizens of Britain that he will stick to the Conservative Party’s manifesto and has taken steps in that direction.
Promises in Manifesto
The Conservative Party’s manifesto alludes to important parts of the road to growth and development.
The first thing promised by the manifesto is the strengthening of the National Health Service (NHS) with an aim to increase the funding of the healthcare system, increased workforce, maintaining existing hospitals, building new hospitals, increasing the salaries of staff, nurses, midwives and cleaners.
The second promise is that educational institutions will be strengthened. Education investment is important for developing human capital and establishing a long-term foothold. As a result, funding for educational resources is critical.
The third promise is to strengthen the economy. Other promises are related to the protection of women and making streets safer. This included funding on the projects of increasing police personnel and prisons, and tighter control on immigration.
Sunak has entered Britain’s politics as a ray of hope and it is highly expected from him to stabilise the ongoing economic and political crisis of the country.
In addition to this, the Conservative Party’s manifesto has to be adhered to in order to gain the long-term confidence and support of the citizens.
