Rishi Sunak named Tory leader, to be appointed UK’s first ever non-white prime minister
ECONOMYNEXT – Rishi Sunak has been appointed leader of the United Kingdom’s Conservative Party and is expected to become the country’s first-ever non-white prime minister, international media reported.
Sunak will be the UK’s third prime minister in just two months, following the resignation of his predecessor Liz Truss.
He was Chancellor of the Exchequer from 2020 to 2022 and Chief Secretary to the Treasury from 2019 to 2020.
Sunak is of Indian heritage and is a practising Hindu and will be the UK’s first ever non-Christian prime minister.
Former Sri Lanka President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunge called Sunak “one of us” in a congratulatory tweet posted Monday October 24 evening.
Hearty congratulations to Rishi Sunak on your victory at the elections for Conservative Party leadership and Prime Minister of the UK.The most striking fact for us in South Asia ,is how superbly Democratic institutions work in the UK.Proud a South Asian will lead the UK.
— Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga (@CBKsrilanka) October 24, 2022
In a speech accepting the Tory leadership, Sunak said Monday evening that he is determined to unite party and country in the face of the great economic challenge before the UK.
His critics, however, have called him an establishment politician representative of the UK’s elite. (Colombo/Oct24/2022)