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Tag: uk pm

  • ‘As the son of pharmacist…’: Rishi Sunak praises UK’s ‘brilliant’ NHS staff

    ‘As the son of pharmacist…’: Rishi Sunak praises UK’s ‘brilliant’ NHS staff

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    UK’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak thanked the healthcare workers at the Sun’s Who Cares Wins awards ceremony. Sunak added that as the son of a GP and community pharmacist, he can tell that he will always prioritise the NHS and its brilliant staff as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

    Dr Freda Newlands, from Dumfries and Galloway, was awarded Best Doctor at The Sun’s Who Cares Wins health awards 2022. The awards ceremony acknowledges healthcare professionals around the UK. This year’s ceremony was the fifth time the awards took place.

    It was Christina Newbury who founded the awards in 2017. The Health Editor at the Sun passed away at the age of 31.

    The ceremony took place in London earlier this month and was hosted by Davina McCall. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Leader of the Opposition Keir Starmer attended the event.

    Sunak became UK’s Prime Minister on October 25, 2022. He was previously Chancellor of the Exchequer from February 13, 2020 to July 5, 2022. He is the first Indian-origin person to hold the office. He is married to Narayana Murthy, the daughter of Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy. They have two daughters – Krishna and Anoushka Sunak.

    However, Sunak, who took over after Liz Truss, is reportedly facing rebellion from his predecessors Boris Johnson and Liz Truss who have called out Sunak for his government’s controversial tax raises and refusal to allow new onshore wind projects in England.

    UK-India ties

    Sunak met his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi earlier this month during the G20 Summit in Bali, Indonesia, following which the UK government approved 3,000 visas for young Indian professionals to work in the country every year. Under the UK-India Young Professionals Scheme, UK will offer 3,000 places to 18-30-year-old degree-holder Indian nationals to come to the UK to live and work for two years.

    Also read: UK PM Rishi Sunak may restrict foreign students to only top schools: Report

    Also read: Rishi Sunak-led UK govt approves 3,000 visas for Indians per year under new scheme

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  • “Vijay Mama, Hi, It’s Rishi”: Rishi Sunak calls chef Sanjay Raina’s uncle to 10 Downing Street

    “Vijay Mama, Hi, It’s Rishi”: Rishi Sunak calls chef Sanjay Raina’s uncle to 10 Downing Street

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    Celebrity chef Sanjay Raina’s video featuring Rishi Sunak has gone viral on Twitter. Sunak, 42, recently made history by becoming the first person of Indian origin to be appointed Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Raina can be heard greeting the chef’s uncle and inviting him to Downing Street, the London neighbourhood that houses the official residences and offices of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

    In the video, which was shared on Twitter, the chef is heard saying to the camera, “Mama, I have somebody to say hello to you.” He then pans the camera to the left, where we can see Mr Sunak greeting us. “Hello, Vijay mama. “Hello, Rishi, how are you?” says the British Prime Minister. That, however, is not the case. Mr Sunak then extends an invitation to “Vijay mama” to 10 Downing Street. “I hope you come here to see me. So, when you arrive, instruct your nephew Sanjay to take you to Downing Street. “Take care,” he concludes.

    Sanjay Raina poked fun at the ongoing visa issue in the UK, writing, “Visa on arrival ab pakka. [Visa on arrival is now confirmed]”

    The video went viral as thousands of people watched it on the microblogging site, and many of them found Sunak’s use of the Hindi word for uncle, “Mama,” to be endearing.

    Rishi Sunak is married to Akshata Murthy, the daughter of Infosys billionaire Narayana Murthy. Sunak’s property portfolio reportedly comes with a penthouse in California, an apartment in London’s exclusive Kensington district, and a mansion in his Yorkshire constituency in the north of England.

    During his first phone call with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the two leaders discussed the possibility of concluding a balanced free-trade agreement between the two countries. Prime Minister Modi tweeted following his conversation with Mr Sunak, “Glad to speak to Rishi Sunak today. Congratulated him on assuming charge as UK PM. We will work together to further strengthen our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. We also agreed on the importance of early conclusion of a comprehensive and balanced FTA.”

    Also Read: PM Modi to meet UK PM Rishi Sunak on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit in Bali in Nov

    Also Read: ‘Very intimidating’: When UK PM Rishi Sunak opened up about his equation with father-in-law Narayana Murthy

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  • ‘Look forward to working closely…’: PM Modi congratulates Rishi Sunak on becoming UK PM

    ‘Look forward to working closely…’: PM Modi congratulates Rishi Sunak on becoming UK PM

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    Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday congratulated Indian-origin Rishi Sunak, who is set to take over as UK’s next premier. The Prime Minister in a tweet said that he looks forward to working closely with Sunak on global issues and implementing ‘Roadmap 2030’. He extended ‘special Diwali’ wishes to the ‘living bridge’ of UK Indians.
     
    “Warmest congratulations @RishiSunak! As you become UK PM, I look forward to working closely together on global issues and implementing Roadmap 2030. Special Diwali wishes to the ‘living bridge’ of UK Indians, as we transform our historic ties into a modern partnership,” he wrote on Twitter.

    India and the UK are working on a free trade deal, which was earlier expected to be finalised by Diwali but the new administration of Liz Truss said it was no longer working on that deadline. Now Sunak at the helm, New Delhi would like to conclude the deal as early as possible.

    Sunak has created history by becoming the first Indian-origin British leader to reach 10 Downing Street – the official residence of the UK Prime Minister. He was elected as Conservative Party leader by Tory MPs, who said the country needed stability and Sunak was their choice. Sunak has served as chancellor of the exchequer under former Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

    US President Joe Biden said the news of Rishi Sunak becoming the UK PM is “pretty astounding, a ground-breaking milestone and it matters”.

    Sunak, 42, will assume the charge today from outgoing PM Liz Truss, whose tenure was cut short by her disastrous tax-cut policies that plunged the country into a deeper crisis.

    A day before he was elected as party leader, Sunak said the UK was facing “a profound economic crisis”. “I want to fix our economy, unite our Party and deliver for our country,” he said announcing his bid for the top post. 

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  • Rishi Sunak, first Indian-origin PM of Britain: Key facts

    Rishi Sunak, first Indian-origin PM of Britain: Key facts

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    Rishi Sunak is set to become the new British prime minister after garnering almost 200 public nominations from Tory lawmakers.

    Sunak would replace Liz Truss, who has resigned after defeating him in a Tory contest less than two months ago. He would serve as the first British-Asian prime minister of the United Kingdom.

    Truss took over from a disgraced Boris Johnson, who resigned himself three years into his term after a slew of scandals threatened to bring down his administration. On the other hand, Truss was only in office for 44 days.

    Rishi Sunak’s Indian connect

    Rishi Sunak was born to an Indian family in the UK’s Southampton area, the son of a pharmacist mother and a National Health Service (NHS) general practitioner father. The grandparents of Rishi Sunak are from Punjab. 

    Sunak’s family moved to East Africa in search of a better life, but as unrest erupted there due to strong anti-Indian sentiments, his grandfather changed his base to Britain.

    Personal life

    Sunak is a Stanford and Oxford University alumni. He is married to Akshata Murthy, the daughter of Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy. The couple has two daughters, Anoushka and Krishna.

    His political life

    In 2015, Sunak was first elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) in Richmond, Yorkshire. He quickly advanced through the Conservative party’s ranks and backed “Brexit” calls. Sunak participated in Johnson’s “leave EU” campaign as one of his backers. When he was appointed to the most important UK Cabinet position, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in February 2020, he made history.

    During the Covid-19 epidemic, Sunak rose to prominence for his economic support for workers and businesses that included a job retention scheme that is said to have prevented widespread unemployment in the UK.

    Sunak’s reputation suffered as a result of the ‘partygate’ scandal, which involved him violating Covid norms and organising lockdown parties at government offices. This eventually led to a crisis in the Johnson administration.

    He was also chastised for his wealthy wife’s non-domiciled tax status. The tax status allows a person born in another country, or whose parent was born in another country, to pay tax in the UK only on income earned in the country.

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  • ‘Want to fix our economy’: Rishi Sunak formally announces candidacy for UK PM

    ‘Want to fix our economy’: Rishi Sunak formally announces candidacy for UK PM

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    Indian-origin former chancellor of exchequer Rishi Sunak on Sunday declared his candidacy for the post of Prime Minister of the UK. He said Britain is a great country but it faces a profound economic crisis. “That’s why I am standing to be Leader of the Conservative Party and your next Prime Minister. I want to fix our economy, unite our Party and deliver for our country,” he said. 

    Sunak has served as the finance minister under former PM Boris Johnson. He was the first choice of a majority of Conservative Party MPs after Johnson resigned in July. However, Liz Truss defeated him in the final elections. She resigned on October 20, saying she can’t deliver the mandate. 

    Today, Sunak said the choice the ruling party makes will decide whether the next generation of British people will have more opportunities than the last. “That’s why I am standing to your next Prime Minister and Leader of the Conservative Party,” he said. 

    The Richmond (Yorks) MP further said that he served as chancellor, helping to steer the economy through the toughest of times, and the challenges the country faces today were even greater. “But the opportunities – if we make the right choices – are phenomenal,” he added. 

    Sunak headed the finance ministry at a time when the world was facing the specter of Covid. He served as chancellor of the exchequer from February 2020 to July 2022. 

    In the statement, he said he has a track record of delivery, a clear plan to fix the biggest problems, and will deliver on the promise of the 2019 manifesto. 

    The next prime minister is to be elected by October 28. This time, Sunak is expected to face his former boss Boris Johnson, who has already announced his bid for 10 Downing Street – the official residence of the Prime Minister. 

     

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  • ‘His competence needed’: British MP backs Indian-origin Rishi Sunak for UK PM

    ‘His competence needed’: British MP backs Indian-origin Rishi Sunak for UK PM

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    The race for the UK Prime Minister is heating up, and Rishi Sunak, Indian-origin former chancellor of the exchequer, has once again emerged as the favourite of a section of ruling Conservative Party MPs. Sunak has got a nomination from 100 MPs, a threshold set by the party to stand in the election for the premiership. The new prime minister is to be elected by October 28, a deadline Liz Truss announced as she resigned as UK PM on October 20.  

    Ever since former PM Boris Johnson was forced to resign on July 7, Sunak was the clear frontrunner for the top post and had got the highest number of party MPs backing him. However, Liz Truss, who trailed in all rounds of voting among the party MPs, defeated Sunak in the final election. But Sunak is back again in the race to become the next UK PM. So far, it looks like Sunak will face his former boss Boris Johnson, who is also trying to make a comeback at 10 Downing Street, the official residence of the UK Prime Minister. Sunak served as the finance minister from February 2020 to July 2022 under former PM Johnson.

    Today, Conservative MP Tom Tugendhat backed Sunak for the top post saying the UK needs economic stability and that his competence and experience are needed in these challenging times.  He said across the country, families are worried about heating their homes this winter, and about whether the economic situation will worsen.

    “We need economic stability, and to put the country before the party of personal gain. That is what the public rightly expects. That is our duty. That is why I will support Rishi Sunak, whose competence and experience are needed in these challenging times,” he said, adding that as servants of the people, we must put politics aside. “This is no time for political games, for settling scores, or for looking backward”.

    One reason why British MPs are backing Sunak is that they believe he can pull the country out of the crises it is in due to some of the economic decisions by Truss and her former finance minister Kwasi Kwarteng. In the run-up to the election, Truss had laid down the steps – like tax cuts and unfunded borrowing to revive the economy – she would take once elected to power. But Sunak said this would be disastrous, especially at a time when the world is facing serious inflation issues. Sunak has emerged as the clear choice as he had warned of the consequences of the decisions that Truss ended up taking as PM.

     

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  • ‘Happy Diwali for Rishi Sunak’: Twitterati have a field day as UK PM Lizz Truss resigns

    ‘Happy Diwali for Rishi Sunak’: Twitterati have a field day as UK PM Lizz Truss resigns

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    It ended just as everyone was predicting: Liz Truss has resigned as UK’s prime minister, just 44 days since taking over the top job, thereby making her stint at 10 Downing Street the shortest one in British parliamentary history. After a stormy session at the House of Commons yesterday over an anti-fracking law, her fate was sealed. But some say her fate was sealed the moment her Chancellor of Exchequer, and close personal friend, Kwasi Kwarteng, presented that disastrous mini-budget, which sent the markets into a tailspin and the British pound to record lows against the US dollar. 

    Now comes the big question. With Truss’ departure, is it time for Rishi Sunak to finally take over the reins of the prime ministership? As per a report in the British newspaper The Times, Sunak’s supporters feel that because he was a runner-up to Truss to take over the leadership of the Conservative Party, it is only natural for him to succeed Truss, now that she is out. 

    In fact, many social media users have already taken to Twitter, sharing their views on who should be UK’s next PM.

    A user named Michael Otadende posted a video of Rishi Sunak counting flaws in Liz Truss’s economy related policies. In the caption he wrote, “Remember when Rishi Sunak told everybody about the pitfalls of Liz Truss’ plans?”

    Another user named Arjun too seemed quite confident about Sunak’s appointment when he wrote that it’s going to be a Happy Diwali for Rishi Sunak.

    Veteran journalist and commentator Piers Morgan too weighed in and said that Rishi Sunak is the right person to now lead the country and restore some kind of stability and integrity into the parliamentary pricess. “These are serious times and we need a serious & competent Prime Minister,” his tweet added.

    However, not all are in favour. Brexit Party Member, Ben Habib sounded not too keen over Sunak’s appointment as he wrote that Sunak borrowed more than any chancellor in history and exited during an energy crisis, with supply chains broken and record levels of tax and inflation which were all created by him. “Appoint him as PM at your peril @Conservatives”

    Susan Dalgety said that she doesn’t care whether Rishi Sunak is “up for the job” or Penny Mordaunt fancies a shot as it is not about the personal ambitions of second-class politicians, but about the lives and future of UK and its citizens. “There must be a general election, not a Tory coronation.”

    Also read: Rishi Sunak increasingly looks like a better fit as British PM; Liz Truss must save her chair

    Also read: Liz Truss resigns as UK PM; Rishi Sunak not yet confirmed to succeed

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