Rishi Sunak: The UK's First British-Asian Prime Minister
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Rishi Sunak, born on May 12, 1980, in Southampton, England, is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He took office on October 25, 2022, after serving as Chancellor of the Exchequer from February 2020 to July 2022. Sunak, whose parents are of Punjabi Indian origin from Kenya and Tanzania, is the first British-Asian to be appointed as the UK Prime Minister.
Early Life and Education
Sunak was born into a family with immigrant roots. His grandparents emigrated from Punjab, in northwestern India, to East Africa, where his mother and father were born in Tanzania and Kenya, respectively. They met and married after their families migrated in the 1960s to Southampton in southern England. Sunak's father became a general practitioner for the National Health Service.
Sunak attended Winchester College and studied Politics, Philosophy, and Economics at Oxford University. He was also a Fulbright Scholar at Stanford University in the USA, where he earned his MBA.
Career
Sunak spent his professional career in business and finance, working internationally. He co-founded an investment firm. Sunak supported Brexit early on, at a time when most young Tory MPs hoping for a government job were loyally arguing David Cameron’s case to remain in the EU. He was elected Conservative MP for Richmond (Yorks) in May 2015. From June 2017 until his ministerial appointment, he served as a Parliamentary Private Secretary at the Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy.
Over the summer, Sunak was assisted by a team of political advisers, including Liam Booth-Smith, his former chief of staff in the Treasury, Nerissa Chesterfield, the communications chief, and Cass Horowitz, the social media expert recognized for aiding in building "brand Rishi."
Personal Life
Sunak met his wife, Akshata, in California where they resided for several years before returning to their home country. They are parents to two daughters, Krishna and Anoushka. During his free time, Sunak likes to stay in shape, play cricket and football, and watch movies.
Controversies
In April 2022, Sunak's reputable image was marred by a series of revelations. Among them, the most impactful was the disclosure that his wife, being an Indian citizen and a non-domiciled resident of the United Kingdom, had utilized a tax loophole to avoid paying taxes to Britain on her foreign income.
Conclusion
Rishi Sunak, a business and finance professional and the first British-Asian Prime Minister in the UK, is married with two daughters and enjoys staying fit, watching cricket, football, and movies. Although there have been a few controversies, his handling of the economy during the COVID-19 pandemic has earned him commendation and a notable presence in British politics.