When Liz Truss was chosen as the party leader by the Tories in Britain, political pundits believed that her ascension to power was a result of the insistence of party members on not voting for a brown-skinned candidate. Now that the UK has its first-ever Asian prime minister – Rishi Sunak – who follows the same political ideology as his predecessor, will things be better for a country in the middle of an economic crunch and political instability? The strengthening of the British pound, right after Sunak’s elevation, is only a short-term gain that suggests that the markets have responded positively to this new choice. But the new PM will have to give more assurances to investors in Britain and assure financial stability. Sunak’s real test also lies in sailing the UK through a winter of despair. The National Health Service (NHS) is going through the worst crisis. Ambulance shortages and long wait-time have affected the majority. The UK’s public schools are barely managing their operations amid severe spending cuts. On top of it, he is dealing with a nation that does not hold his party in high regard anymore. Sunak’s policies will therefore be watched closely. So will Sunak himself.
Sunak has promised good ties with countries around the world including Ukraine and said he will support the Ukrainians. His other foreign policy decisions will be awaited but the fact that Jeremy Hunt, the former finance minister, is staying on in power leads to speculation that there would be no major change in Britain’s finance plan or its policies even though Sunak has said that he plans to put in place some kind of social welfare programme for the poorer members of British society. This will only be believed once it happens because Sunak is hardly known as a people’s politician. He has been accused of voting against benefits that would have helped the UK’s poorest survive the difficult times of Covid-19.
Nevertheless, the arrival of a new British prime minister on the scene will be watched closely and with considerable interest by all in that country as well as other nations around the world. Sunak has to save a nation which is in danger of plunging into a financial crisis, a situation it has faced since its exit from the European Union and which was worsened by the Covid crisis. Sunak has already come under fierce criticism from the opposition Labour Party which is demanding fresh elections. There is the added ‘post-racial UK’ debate that also seems to have risen with Sunak’s ascent to power. While the optics look good for sure, many that fall under the POC umbrella are questioning whether the rise of one privileged man to power is really as revolutionary as some have made it out to be. Testing times indeed for Britain’s brand new PM.