Rishi Sunak looks set to become UK's next prime minister after Boris Johnson ended his bid in a surprise decision. The other contender, Penny Mordaunt, is way off securing the crucial number required to contest the election to replace Liz Truss.
Ancestry and Caste of Rishi Sunak:
Both of Rishi's grandfathers were born in Punjab(North India) and later moved to East Africa. His parents, Yashvir Sunak and Usha Sunak, were born in Kenya and Tanganyika respectively. In an interview with Business Standard in 2015, he revealed that his maternal grandfather received an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) “after decades and decades” of working for Inland Revenue, the tax office. In the 1960s, his grandparents moved to the United Kingdom from East Africa with their children.
The caste of Sunaks is Punjabi Khatri.
Rishi’s father Yashveer Sunak, born in 1949 in Nairobi. Yashveer arrived in Liverpool in 1966 and went on to study medicine at the University of Liverpool. He now lives in Southampton. All three daughters of Ramdas and Suhag Rani studied in India.
Rishi’s maternal grandparents also hail from Punjab. His maternal grandfather, Raghubir Berry, grew up in Punjab and moved to Tanzania as a railway engineer. He married Tanzania-born Sraksha Sunak.
Rishi’s parents, Usha and Yashveer, met in the UK and married in Leicester in 1977.
Rishi was born in 1980 in Southampton and attended the prestigious private school called Winchester College. During his summer vacation, he worked part-time as a waiter at Southampton Curry House. He later attended Oxford University to study philosophy, politics and economics.
“My parents sacrificed a great deal so I could attend good schools. I was lucky to study at Winchester College, Oxford and Stanford university,” he has been quoted as saying.
While pursuing his MBA at the Stanford University, US, on a Fulbright scholarship, Sunak met his future wife and billionaire heiress Akshata Murthy, daughter of Narayana Murthy of the IT services giant Infosys. Rishi and Akshata have two daughters.
Rishi first worked as an analyst for Goldman Sachs from 2001 to 2004. He later went on to become a partner in two hedge funds, where he used his experience to help small and entrepreneurial British companies grow, according to a UK government website.
He became a junior minister in Theresa May’s government after serving as a Conservative MP for Richmond in Yorkshire since 2015. He was made chief secretary to the Treasury by Johnson in 2019 and promoted to the chancellor’s post in February 2020.
Though he had always been a vocal supporter of Johnson’s policies, Rishi resigned this month saying his own approach to the economy was “fundamentally” different to that of the PM.
Rishi has also openly declared himself as a “proud Hindu”. While calling himself “thoroughly British“, he has argued that his religious and cultural heritage is “Indian” like his wife and “he is open about being a Hindu”. He had earlier also talked about his abstinence from beef on religious grounds and how he keeps a Ganesha idol on his desk.
He is a proud Hindu, a proud Indian and a proud British. He is soon going to be UK's first Prime Minister of Indian descent.
Congratulations Rishi Sunak
- Mr Sunak has the support of 142 members of the parliament - far above the 100-mark required to bag the top job. The Tory MP made the renewed attempt to contest for the post on Sunday, just weeks after losing to Liz Truss in the summer leadership contest.
- "I want to fix our economy, unite our party and deliver for our country," the Indian-origin former chancellor said in a short statement confirming his widely expected candidacy.
- In a surprise move, Boris Johnson, who cut short a holiday in the Caribbean to try and secure the backing of 100 lawmakers to enter Monday's contest, pulled out of the Conservative Party leadership race on Sunday, saying he would not be able to lead "a united party in parliament".
- Mr Johnson, 58, said that although he could have been "back in Downing Street", but that he had failed to persuade either Mr Sunak, or Penny Mordaunt, to come together "in the national interest".
- "I believe I have much to offer but I am afraid that this is simply not the right time," Mr Johnson, 58, said late on Sunday.
- Shortly after the announcement, Mr Sunak put out a tweet praising the leadership of his former boss for leading the country through some of the toughest challenges including Brexit, Covid vaccine rollout and the war in Ukraine.
- "Although he has decided not to run for PM again, I truly hope he continues to contribute to public life at home and abroad," he added.
- Mr Johnson's exit leaves Penny Mordaunt as the only challenger to Rishi Sunak but she is way off securing 100 backers. Ms Mordaunt, who entered the race on Friday, reportedly has the support of 29 MPs.
- If Ms Mordaunt fails to garner the support of 100 MPs, Rishi Sunak would automatically become the prime minister.
- In India, Mr Sunak has been better known through his wife, Akshata Murty, the daughter of the billionaire co-founder of Infosys Narayana Murthy.
Ancestry and Caste of Rishi Sunak:
Both of Rishi's grandfathers were born in Punjab(North India) and later moved to East Africa. His parents, Yashvir Sunak and Usha Sunak, were born in Kenya and Tanganyika respectively. In an interview with Business Standard in 2015, he revealed that his maternal grandfather received an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) “after decades and decades” of working for Inland Revenue, the tax office. In the 1960s, his grandparents moved to the United Kingdom from East Africa with their children.
The caste of Sunaks is Punjabi Khatri.
Rishi’s father Yashveer Sunak, born in 1949 in Nairobi. Yashveer arrived in Liverpool in 1966 and went on to study medicine at the University of Liverpool. He now lives in Southampton. All three daughters of Ramdas and Suhag Rani studied in India.
Rishi’s maternal grandparents also hail from Punjab. His maternal grandfather, Raghubir Berry, grew up in Punjab and moved to Tanzania as a railway engineer. He married Tanzania-born Sraksha Sunak.
Rishi’s parents, Usha and Yashveer, met in the UK and married in Leicester in 1977.
Rishi was born in 1980 in Southampton and attended the prestigious private school called Winchester College. During his summer vacation, he worked part-time as a waiter at Southampton Curry House. He later attended Oxford University to study philosophy, politics and economics.
“My parents sacrificed a great deal so I could attend good schools. I was lucky to study at Winchester College, Oxford and Stanford university,” he has been quoted as saying.
While pursuing his MBA at the Stanford University, US, on a Fulbright scholarship, Sunak met his future wife and billionaire heiress Akshata Murthy, daughter of Narayana Murthy of the IT services giant Infosys. Rishi and Akshata have two daughters.
Rishi first worked as an analyst for Goldman Sachs from 2001 to 2004. He later went on to become a partner in two hedge funds, where he used his experience to help small and entrepreneurial British companies grow, according to a UK government website.
He became a junior minister in Theresa May’s government after serving as a Conservative MP for Richmond in Yorkshire since 2015. He was made chief secretary to the Treasury by Johnson in 2019 and promoted to the chancellor’s post in February 2020.
Though he had always been a vocal supporter of Johnson’s policies, Rishi resigned this month saying his own approach to the economy was “fundamentally” different to that of the PM.
Rishi has also openly declared himself as a “proud Hindu”. While calling himself “thoroughly British“, he has argued that his religious and cultural heritage is “Indian” like his wife and “he is open about being a Hindu”. He had earlier also talked about his abstinence from beef on religious grounds and how he keeps a Ganesha idol on his desk.
He is a proud Hindu, a proud Indian and a proud British. He is soon going to be UK's first Prime Minister of Indian descent.
Congratulations Rishi Sunak
