“Dishy Rishi” Where “Mr.Clean” like to call him his opponents and the opposition press like the centre-left daily, The Guardian. The young politician has been able to build a real “Rishi Sunak” brand, like a Tony Blair in the 90s.
He is on the front page of GQ, the magazine for urban 40-year-old men. Very present on Twitter and Instagram, where we see him working at home in a hoodie or in boots and a fluorescent vest on a construction site, the young politician wants to give him a smooth and dynamic image. Son of a doctor of Indian origin and from a wealthy family, Rishi Sunak seems to have worn all the clothes of the British elite.
The public rightly expect government to be conducted properly, competently and seriously.
I recognize this may be my last ministerial job, but I believe these standards are worth fighting for and that is why I am resigning.
My letter to the Prime Minister below. pic.twitter.com/vZ1APB1ik1
—Ready For Rishi (@RishiSunak) July 5, 2022
“He represents England’s top flight”
The man who says he once experienced racism in a fast food restaurant as a teenager attended Winchester College, a very chic boarding school for boys. The young student, originally from Southampton, then joined Lincoln College in Oxford. It is the Grail for all those who want to enter the circle of “the upper class“, high society.
He then became a financial analyst at Goldman Sachs in the City of London. He founded his investment company and began to frequent conservative circles. In 2015, he entered politics. Aged 35, he became Conservative MP for North Yorkshire the same year. “Her father is a doctor, her mother is a pharmacist. He comes from a fairly wealthy family, he went to private schools”, confirms Sarah Pickard, doctor in British civilization at the University of Sorbonne-Nouvelle. In 2018, he became a member of the May government as Secretary of Commerce.
He has almost the same profile as many other British Prime Ministers. In reality, he looks a lot like Boris Johnson, David Cameron.Sarah Pickard, doctor in British civilization at the University of Sorbonne-Nouvelle.
As the academic reminds us, his career is similar to that of several former leaders of the United Kingdom. “He has almost the same profile as many other British Prime Ministers. In reality, he looks a lot like Boris Johnson, David Cameron. He represents England’s top flight”.
Married to a rich heiress of Indian nationality
Since 2009, Rishi Sunak has been married to Akshata Murthy. Of Indian nationality and domiciled in London for several decades, she is one of the largest fortunes in the United Kingdom. The family of Akshata Murthy alone represents one of the main fortunes of India. She is notably at the head of Infosys, a giant of Indian IT subcontracting.
The tax status ofnon-resident” of his wife shocks the United Kingdom. This status allows it to be exempt from tax on income generated abroad. Her husband, then Minister of Finance, increased the taxes of the modest and middle classes. “Rishi Sunak is also one of those who went to parties organized by Boris Johnson during the confinement. He even got fined”, remarks Sarah Pickard.
A centrist and experienced curator
Considered “disconnected” from the realities of the British because of his personal and political background, Rishi Sunak sometimes clashes within the conservative party. “He says he doesn’t want to lower taxes, it may bother some members” assures Sarah Pickard. Former Minister of Finance, Rishi Sunak was in office at the height of the health crisis linked to Covid-19. During this period, “he led policies for workers“, explains Sarah pickard. According to her, “it appealed to several types of people: both employers and workers. It provided coverage for employees while they were unable to go to work”.
The campaign will be played on the cost of living in the United Kingdom. Inflation, purchasing power… All these themes that affect British families a lot.Sarah Pickard, doctor in British civilization at the University of Sorbonne-Nouvelle.
With his stay at 11 Downing Street (home of the Minister of Finance), Rishi Sunak was also able to campaign for the presidency of the Tories on his record at the head of the state budget. “Everything he has done for two years can serve him. It shows that he was able to manage the economy and make decisions during the last two years marked by the Covid.”. A real argument for those who find themselves in the post of Prime Minister while Liz Truss, the ephemeral Prime Minister has tripped over these subjects.
Promote personalities with an immigrant background
Coming from a family of Indian immigrants, he is part of a whole generation of right-wing British politicians of foreign origin. This generation benefits from the inclusive measures put in place within the Conservative Party in the early 2000s.
In forty years, the United Kingdom has considerably changed its view of successful people with an immigrant background. There is a real admiration for them but that does not mean that in the future people who are in great difficulty will be better supported.Sarah Pickard, doctor in British civilization at the University of Sorbonne-Nouvelle.
“I think there was a real turning point in 2005 at the start of the David Cameron era. He wanted there to be more Conservative candidates representing the British people. So there were more nominations of women and descendants of immigrants in the constituencies at election time”, explains Sarah Pickard. She recalls that “the conservative party was very white, very male” and “it is thanks to David Cameron’s policy that there has been much more diversity. It was a real fundamental change”.
A Brexit advocate
If the course of Rishi Sunak is valued by the conservative party, the policy applied by the parliamentary majority remains very unfavorable to immigration to the United Kingdom. “It is this same party that authorizes the deportation of immigrants to Rwanda. They also want to free themselves from the European Court of Human Rights. It is also the party of former Home Secretary Priti Patel that has championed tough laws on immigrants”, emphasizes Sarah Pickard. Rishi Sunak has always been a Brexit advocate and he backed the anti-immigration positions of the pro-Brexit campaign in 2016.
“In forty years, the United Kingdom has considerably changed its view of successful people with an immigrant background. There is a real admiration for them but that does not mean that in the future people who are in great difficulty will be better supported.”, concludes the academic.
The first Hindu Chancellor of the Exchequer, he was sworn in on the Bhagavad Gita, a sacred Sanskrit text when he entered the House of Commons as MP for Yorkshire (northern England) in 2015. He could do the same as prime minister.