London: After the resignation of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Thursday, queries surrounding his successor in 10 Downing Street have become rife. Highly speculated among the names thought to be in the forefront of the Prime Ministerial race is Indian-origin Rishi Sunak, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whose resignation from the cabinet on Wednesday gave way to a cascading flow of similar departures.
Sunak, born to a pharmacist mother and an NHS General Practitioner (GP) father, was first elected MP from Richmond, Yorkshire back in 2015. An Oxford University and Stanford Graduate, Sunak's series of inductions through the Conservative party was quick. He was among those calling for Brexit and participated in an anti-European Union movement spearheaded by Johnson as well.
Following are a few facts about Rishi Sunak:
1. He was selected by outgoing PM Johnson and was made Chancellor of the Exchequer in February 2020. Notably, this marked the Indian-origin MP's first full cabinet position.
2. During the COVID pandemic, he gained popularity through his Coronavirus-economic package, which aimed to assist both citizens and businesses by providing financial aid. This included a job retention programme, which succeeded in dodging large scale joblessness during the time of crisis.
3. Sunak is married to Akshata Murty, the daughter of Infosys founder Narayana Murthy. The MP appeared to land in controversy post the spotlight on his wife's non-domiciled tax status. The non-dom allows UK citizens born in other countries, or born to parents from other countries, to pay tax only on their income generated inside the UK.
4. The former MP took another hit to his reputation after gatherings in and around Downing Street during COVID-induced lockdown back in May 2020, largely dubbed 'Partygate', cost both him and Boris Johnson a fine each.
