Former Chancellor Rishi Sunak becomes UK's new prime minister
Baku, October 24, AZERTAC
Former Chancellor Rishi Sunak became the UK’s first British Asian new prime minister on Monday as the new Tory leader, after Penny Mordaunt dropped out of the race minutes before the candidacy deadline was reached, according to Anadolu Agency.
Sir Graham Brady, the 1922 Committee head, confirmed in a short statement that Sunak became the new leader. He announced that the committee had received only one application, which was from Sunak.
Sunak, 42, was the chancellor of the exchequer - top ministerial position for the UK’s finance affairs - in Boris Johnson’s Cabinet in 2020.
The new prime minister was born in Southampton to Indian parents who came to the UK from East Africa. His father was a doctor and his mother owned a chemist shop.
Sunak is married with two children.
In his time as the finance minister during the COVID-19 pandemic, Sunak devised and implemented a wide-ranging economic support program for the country that ran into the hundreds of billions of pounds, supporting both employers and employees with generous government funding.
The Tory leadership contest was triggered after outgoing Prime Minister Liz Truss’ resignation last Thursday after only six weeks in the top government office, following a tumultuous run and turmoil in economy due to her mini-budget.
Other news in this section
