Indian-origin Conservative leader Rishi Sunak on Sunday declared a second run for the position during a crisis-like scenario in the nation, weeks after coming up short in the contest to become the next prime minister of the United Kingdom.
“The UK is a beautiful nation, but we are now experiencing a severe economic crisis. Because of this, I’m running to be the Conservative Party’s leader and your next prime minister. I want to revive our economy, reunite our Party, and serve our nation.”
Following cabinet member, Penny Mordaunt’s announcement of her candidacy on Friday, Britain’s former finance minister Mr. Sunak, 42, is the second Tory MP to announce a run for the position of prime minister.
Ms. Mordaunt only has the support of 29 lawmakers, compared to Mr. Sunak’s 142 supporters. Mr. Sunak may move into 10 Downing Street as soon as today if the latter cannot get the support of 100 MPs.
Here is a look at some controversy that has dogged Mr. Sunak before that possibility.
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‘No Working Class Friends’
During the “Middle Classes: Their Rise and Sprawl” BBC documentary series, Mr. Sunak, then age 21, spoke about his pals. I have friends who are aristocrats, I have friends who are high class, and I have friends who are, you know, working class, Mr. Sunak stated in the excerpt from 2001.
Well, he hastily amended himself, “Not working class.
This video, which portrayed Mr. Sunak as a man of the people, generated criticism from all around the nation.
Wife’s Non-Domicile Status
Akshata Murty, the child of Infosys founder Narayana Murthy, is the wife of Mr. Sunak.
This year, it was revealed that Akshata Murty paid 30,000 pounds annually to retain her non-domicile status, which exempted her from the UK’s foreign income tax legislation. However, she was forced to give up her non-domicile level after widespread criticism.
Russian ‘Blood Money’
Mr. Sunak had pushed British businesses to quit investing in the nation when Russia invaded Ukraine while thanking giants like Shell and BP for leaving.
However, Akshata Murty was charged with receiving “blood money” in dividends from Infosys, which insisted on continuing its business in Russia.
Lesia Vasylenko, a Ukrainian MP, was reported by The Guardian as saying, “Every corporation has the option to make. You can conduct the business as normal and earn your money, but you have to live with the idea that its bloody money, and bloody commerce.”
Bread Controversy
Mr. Sunak voiced his worries about the UK’s growing bread prices on the BBC Breakfast program. Mr. Sunak said, “It’s a Hovis type of seeded thing,” when the host asked him what brand of bread he preferred. We all eat various kinds of bread in my home, and my wife, I, and my kids all have varying degrees of health.
The opposition food secretary Jim McMahon responded to the widely circulated video by saying, “Perhaps if the Chancellor was struggling to purchase a single loaf of bread like so many families are, he would have provided help to families yesterday.
Instead, the “continental breakfast” Chancellor is unaware of the Tories’ current affordability dilemma.