Mr Rishi Sunak will become prime minister of the UK this week, the third in 7 weeks, once he is sworn in by the King. The past two months have been exceptionally volatile in British politics and financial markets, and everyone here has been touched by the crises in one way or another. By selecting Mr Sunak, the Conservative Party has signalled they are seeking sobriety (Sunak does not drink) and a steady hand (he is considered a relatively measured financier), in short, stability.
Mr Sunak has a relatively fascinating life story, and becomes the youngest British PM in 200 years, as well as the first British Asian person to hold the highest office in the land. Well-educated, in the UK and USA, he is also close to being a billionaire, and his wife is also one of the richest women in the UK, richer than the Queen was, reportedly. Together they form a major power couple with extraordinary influence now.
During his time as Chancellor of the Exchequer during the pandemic, Mr Sunak helped millions of companies and persons with loans and furlough funding, and opposed wider lockdowns. A Brexiteer, he is a low-tax, small government Tory forced to preside over high taxes and big social programmes. A dapper dresser, he is considered a friendly, polite family man without any demons. A lot is riding on the perception of him as a stable, smart and decent man matching the reality.
