Britain is gearing up for a fierce election on July 4th, pitting Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s ruling Conservative Party against Keir Starmer’s Labour Party in what is said to be one of the most closely watched elections in the world.
In October 2022, Sunak, 44, will become the first Indian-origin British prime minister and the youngest occupant of No. 10 Downing Street in the past 210 years. This comes after the UK experienced major political turmoil with the successive resignations of former prime minister Boris Johnson and his successor Liz Truss.
Ahead of key opinion polls this week, we look back at Sunak’s moment in power.
Sunak was elected Conservative MP for Richmond in Yorkshire in 2015. A lifelong Brexit supporter, he campaigned to leave the EU and was appointed to his first ministerial role under Prime Minister Theresa May in 2018, as the number three man in the newly renamed Department for Housing, Communities and Local Government.
He then endorsed Boris Johnson as a candidate for Prime Minister.
2019 UK Elections
Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Conservative Party won the 2019 general election, winning 365 of the 650 seats in Parliament. While Johnson remained prime minister, Sunak became Chancellor of the Exchequer under then-chancellor Sajid Javid.
After Javid resigned in a power struggle, Sunak was promoted to chancellor of the exchequer, making him the first Indian-origin minister to hold one of the highest posts in a British government.
Sunak was praised for a series of mini-budgets that introduced measures such as a furlough scheme that would save many jobs and businesses during the coronavirus lockdown, and was even tipped to be the favourite to succeed Johnson as Conservative leader.
Rishi Sunak vs Liz Truss
Both Sunak and Truss began campaigning to succeed Johnson in 2022 after he announced his intention to step down as British prime minister following a major cabinet revolt over his leadership, sparked by Partygate and other major scandals.
Ultimately, Truss won the Conservative leadership election and became Britain’s new prime minister, but she was forced to resign six weeks into open rebellion.
Rishi Sunak becomes Chancellor
Sunak made history and became Britain’s prime minister in October 2022 after his last rival in the Conservative leadership race, Penny Mordaunt, withdrew from the race.
At the time, Sunak was reported to have won the support of around 200 Conservative MPs to succeed Truss as Britain’s new prime minister.
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