Prime Minister Rishi Sunak visits Croydon University Hospital where he met staff and patients. South London. Picture by Simon Walker / No 10 Downing Street
In a poll conducted on the UK’s new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s first two days in office, 39 per cent of respondents picked the Indian-origin leader over Keir Starmer, chief of the opposition Labour Party.
The poll, conducted by Redfield and Wilton, asked 1,500 people who they thought would be a better Prime Minister.
Some 39 per cent of respondents picked Sunak, up 6 per cent from the start of September, and 38 per cent said they would prefer Starmer, down 4 per cent, the Daily Express reported.
Another weekly tracker poll by Techne UK showed Labour’s lead over the Conservatives was down from 31 to 24 points.
Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer speaks after Rishi Sunak’s Budget speech. (UK Parliament_Jessica Taylor)
The poll of 1,624 voters showed support for Labour at 50 per cent, a drop of three points from last week.
The Conservatives, meanwhile, were up four points with their new Prime Minister at the helm from 22 per cent a week ago to 26 per cent on October 27, the Daily Express reported.
Sunak faced Starmer in his first Prime Minister’s Questions in the Commons on October 26 — a day after being appointed as Britain’s first Asian and first Hindu Prime Minister.
Despite the popularity polls, calls for a general election have escalated with more than 891,000 people signing a petition to Parliament
According to a modelling sample of 12,000 people by YouGov last week, Sunak would suffer a crushing defeat at the hands of Starmer if a general election were to take place immediately.
It said Starmer would win 389 constituencies, and Sunak just 127.
The next general election in the UK is scheduled for May 2024, under the Fixed Term Parliament Act 2011, which holds that an poll must be held at least once every five years.
According to experts, the Conservatives are likely to resist early election calls unless absolutely necessary because any new election is expected to flip around the sizable 71-seat majority in the House of Commons, which the party enjoys at the moment.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak holds his first Cabinet meeting in 10 Downing Street the morning after assuming office
After being elected as the Conservative leader, Sunak told supporters that the party must “unite or die” after the recent wave of controversy and infighting.
In a speech at Conservative Party headquarters, he said: “We now need stability and unity and I will make it my utmost priority to bring our party and our country together.”
rime Minister Rishi Sunak arrives at No10 Downing Street. 10 Downing Street. Picture by Simon Walker/ No 10 Downing Street
New UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Tuesday reshuffled his Cabinet, retaining Jeremy Hunt as Chancellor, Ben Wallace as Defence Secretary, while appointing Dominic Raab as Deputy Prime Minister and Suella Braverman as Home Secretary.
“Jeremy Hunt re-appointed as UK’s Chancellor of the Exchequer,” tweeted Conservative Party.
Hunt was appointed chancellor by former prime minister Liz Truss 11 days ago, after turmoil in the financial markets following the mini-budget and its platform of unfunded tax cuts.
Hunt – who replaced Kwasi Kwarteng – junked nearly all of Truss’ tax cuts and is credited with restoring some confidence in the markets. As a result, he had been expected to stay on as chancellor by many pundits.
“Dominic Raab has been appointed as Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary,” added the Conservative Party.
During the summer’s Tory leadership contest, Raab was among the few Sunak-backers who carried on talking him up even when Truss’ victory was all but certain.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak arrives at No10 Downing Street. 10 Downing Street. Picture by Simon Walker/ No 10 Downing Street
Last week, he pledged his support for Sunak after saying that he couldn’t back Boris Johnson as prime minister while the Partygate inquiry continued.
Raab is a staunch Brexiteer and was Brexit Secretary in July 2018 – quitting only months later in opposition to Theresa May’s Brexit deal.
Meanwhile, Ben Wallace has been re-appointed as Defence Secretary by Sunak.
Wallace was appointed Defence Secretary in July 2019 and retained his post in Liz Truss’ government. Today’s continuity was anticipated given he’s been leading the UK response to the war in Ukraine.
Suella Braverman has been re-appointed as Home Secretary, less than a week after she resigned from the same role in Truss’ cabinet.
She was appointed Home Secretary, one of the top jobs in government, in September when Truss became the new prime minister. But she resigned last Wednesday over a “mistake”.
In her resignation letter, she said she had sent an official document from her personal email address, breaking the ministerial code.
She also criticised Truss saying her government had “broken key pledges that were promised to voters”.
Liz Truss chairs her last Cabinet meeting in the Cabinet room of No10 Downing Street. Picture by Andrew Parsons / No 10 Downing Street
Braverman is back as the person responsible for overseeing UK borders, policing and counter-terrorism.
Meanwhile, Michael Gove has been confirmed as the levelling up secretary, the BBC reported.
Levelling up is a term used to described plans to close the gap between rich and poor parts of the country.
Gove has been an MP for Surrey Heath for almost 20 years.
The 55-year-old is an experienced cabinet minister and has held a number of prominent roles in government, including education secretary, justice secretary and – most recently – levelling up secretary under Boris Johnson.
However, he was sacked from that role in July, after urging Johnson to resign as prime minister.
Meanwhile, Indian-origin British minister Alok Sharma lost his Cabinet position in PM Sunak’s reshuffle.
Sunak is reshuffling his Cabinet after many of Truss’ ministers resigned or were sacked.
Jacob Rees-Mogg, one of Boris Johnson’s most loyal supporters, has resigned as Business Secretary while Brandon Lewis has stepped down as Justice Secretary.
James Cleverly has been re-appointed as Foreign Secretary, Downing Street said.
Prime Minister Liz Truss leaves No10 for the last time before Rishi Sunak takes over as the new Prime Minister. Picture by Andrew Parsons / No 10 Downing Street
Cleverly was appointed Foreign Secretary by Liz Truss in September. He’s been an MP for Braintree in Essex since 2015.
Simon Hart has been appointed as the new chief whip in Rishi Sunak’s cabinet, replacing Wendy Morton.
Hart has been the MP for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire since 2010 and served as Secretary of State for Wales under Boris Johnson between 2019 and 2022.
Nadhim Zahawi will remain in Cabinet, despite initially backing Boris Johnson in the leadership race.
He’s been made a minister without portfolio – which grants him a Cabinet position with no specific responsibilities – and also party chairman, replacing Jake Berry.
“Nadhim Zahawi has been appointed @Conservatives Party Chairman,” Conservative Party.
Oliver Dowden has been appointed Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Downing Street has confirmed.
Sunak officially became UK Prime Minister after meeting King Charles III at Buckingham Palace.
In his first speech outside No 10, he said the UK was facing a “profound economic crisis” and vowed to earn the trust of Britons amid economic and political crises. (ANI)
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak arrives in Downing Street. Picture by Lauren Hurley / No 10 Downing Street
Earlier, British monarch King Charles III granted Rishi Sunak an audience at Buckingham Palace and formally invited him to constitute a government.
In his first address to the nation via a televised statement in front of 10 Downing Street, now his official residence-cum-office as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Britain’s first non-white, non-Christian head of government Rishi Sunak pledged: “I will unite our country not with words, but with action.”
He did not mince words about the “mistakes” made by his immediate predecessor, Liz Truss and said: “I have been elected as leader of my party and your Prime Minister in part to fix them.” He added: “This will mean difficult decisions to come.”
Sunak promised that he will be as caring as he was as Chancellor of the Exchequer during the Covid pandemic, saying: “I will bring that same compassion to the challenges we face today.” But he indicated the current generation of Britons have to settle the country’s debt, instead of leaving this for their children or grandchildren.
At the end of his five and a half minute speech, he waved to the assembled journalists and camera crews before entering the historic door and building.
The King received The Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP at Buckingham Palace today.
His Majesty asked him to form a new Administration. Mr. Sunak accepted His Majesty’s offer and was appointed Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury.
Earlier, British monarch King Charles III granted Sunak an audience at Buckingham Palace and formally invited him to constitute a government.
Sunak is the youngest Prime Minister of Britain in 200 years. He has risen to this position after only seven years in politics. He was previously an investment banker and hedge fund manager.
He is of Indian origin by virtue of his grandparents hailing from pre-partition India, though his parents were brought up in East Africa. He himself was born in Southampton. His wife Akshata Murthy, a businesswoman, is Indian.
rime Minister Rishi Sunak arrives at No10 Downing Street. 10 Downing Street. Picture by Simon Walker/ No 10 Downing Street
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak arrives in Downing Street. Picture by Lauren Hurley / No 10 Downing Street
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak arrives in Downing Street. Picture by Lauren Hurley / No 10 Downing Street
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak arrives at No10 Downing Street. 10 Downing Street. Picture by Simon Walker/ No 10 Downing Street
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak arrives in Downing Street. Picture by Lauren Hurley / No 10 Downing Street
Chancellor of Exchequer Rishi Sunak Spring Statement. Chancellor of Exchequer Rishi Sunak on his way to the Cabinet room for the Prime Minister’s weekly Cabinet meeting before delivering his Spring Statement in the House of Commons . Picture by Andrew Parsons / No 10 Downing Street
Rishi Sunak’s warnings about Truss’s economic plans have been largely borne out, which gives him credibility with markets.
With UK’s beleaguered Prime Minister Liz Truss resigning, Conservative MP and Northern Ireland minister Steve Baker has said that former British Chancellor of Indian-origin Rishi Sunak will make a good Prime Minister.
“I feel the country needs a change of direction… Rishi would be a good Prime Minister… We have a number of people in the party who could be good Prime ministers,” Baker told ITV’s Peston.
With just 45 days in office, Truss resigned on Thursday, saying she would remain as Prime Minister until a successor had been chosen, which she said would happen within a week.
Speaking outside 10 Downing Street office, Truss accepted that she could not deliver the promises she made when she was running for Conservative leader, having lost the faith of her party.
“I recognise though, given the situation, I cannot deliver the mandate on which I was elected by the Conservative Party. I have therefore spoken to His Majesty the King to notify him that I am resigning as leader of the Conservative Party,” she said.
Prime Minister Liz Truss coming out from No 10 to address the media to announce her resignation as the leader of Conservative Party and Prime Minister of UK. Picture by Andrew Parsons / No 10 Downing Street
Barely two months after losing to Liz Truss in the race for UK Prime Minister, Sunak has once again been emerging as the favourite to replace her with 100 Tory MPs considering a no-confidence motion against her.
A YouGov poll of Tory members found that 55 per cent would now vote for 42-year-old Sunak if they were able to vote again, while just 25 per cent would vote for Truss.
According to a Bloomberg report, Conservative MPs are utterly divided over who should take over.
“Rebellious Conservative MPs are destroying the capacity for the party to govern,” Baker told ITV Peston and instead, asked the MPs to do it privately.
Sunak’s warnings about Truss’s economic plans have been largely borne out, which gives him credibility with markets.
“Yet he has large numbers of enemies in the Tory party. There are about 100 MPs on the ideological right of the party — including ardent Brexiteers and supporters of Johnson — who are determined to prevent a Sunak premiership,” the Bloomberg reported.
An MP had said earlier that they are backing “ABSOM” — Anyone But Sunak Or Mordaunt.
Sunak is also blamed for triggering former PM Boris Johnson’s downfall. One minister warned that opting for Sunak would lead to even more Tory infighting, Bloomberg reported.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt is also seen as a PM contender. But he told Sky News he had ruled out ever becoming prime minister for family reasons.
Prime Minister Liz Truss visits the Empire State Building while attending the United Nations General Assembly in New York . Picture by Andrew Parsons / No 10 Downing Street
The current incumbent of 10 Downing Street Liz Truss, who has been in post for only 39 days, appears to be increasingly in danger of being ousted by her Conservative party MPs, unless there’s a dramatic turnaround in her fortunes over the next few days, a report by Ashis Ray
The shortest-serving British Prime Minister was George Canning, who, in 1827, was in office for a mere 119 days. His term though was cut short not by political events, but by his premature death at the age of 57.
The current incumbent of 10 Downing Street Liz Truss, who has been in post for only 39 days, appears to be increasingly in danger of being ousted by her Conservative party MPs, unless there’s a dramatic turnaround in her fortunes over the next few days.
Nicholas Watt, political editor of the in-depth current affairs programme on TV, BBC Newsnight, tweeted: “The PM will find it difficult to survive”. According to him, a group of Conservative lawmakers are planning to call on Truss to resign next week.
Prime Minister Liz Truss appoints Jeremy Hunt as her new
Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Cabinet Room of No10 Downing Street. Picture by Andrew Parsons / No 10 Downing Street
Watt’s post following the sacking of Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng on Friday morning. His ‘mini-budget’ last month created a 62 billion pound hole in the British government’s finances with sweeping, populist, unfunded tax cuts.
The giveaway was received with considerable concern in the markets. The value of the pound collapsed from around $1.30 to lmost the level of the United States currency. It was trading at $1.12 on Friday.
In a letter accepting his dismissal, Kwarteng u-turned by asking Truss to move forward to “fiscal discipline”. This was interpreted in informed circles as an impending reversal of some of the tax cuts announced by the former only three weeks ago.
Prime Minister Liz Truss attends a reception to celebrate the USA-British Lamb Agreement in 10 Downing Street. Picture by Simon Dawson / No 10 Downing Street
The bottom line however is, the mini-budget was nothing but a reflection of the promises made by Truss during her bid for the leadership of the Conservative party and therefore the post of Prime Minister. It will, pundits suggested, be difficult for her to distance herself from the proposals. On the other hand, if she does a volte-face, her credibility could suffer irreparably.
Truss repeatedly clashed with her Indian-origin rival in the leadership contest Rishi Sunak on tax issues. Sunak conspicuously did not attend last week’s annual Conservative party conference. It remains to be seen if he emerges as Truss’s potential successor, if she is forced to step down.
Truss was expected to address a press conference later on Friday.
