Since Britain’s first prime minister took office in 1721, a total of 55 people have held the position. They came from a variety of backgrounds and political beliefs, but they all had at least one thing in common: They were white. The next prime minister may not be. Rishi Sunak, a 42-year-old multi-millionaire of Indian heritage and former head of the Treasury, is one of two finalists for the post, which will be filled early next month by a vote of Conservative Party members. Polls show him trailing Liz Truss, the foreign secretary, who would be the third female prime minister. But Sunak’s rapid rise to the elites of British politics has unleashed complicated feelings about race and class in a nation still defined in many ways by its legacy as a colonial power. In a country of 63 million ie 87% white, Asians are the largest minority at 7%. Most have their roots in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, which were all part of the British Empire until independence in 1947. Early immigrants faced employment bans and other forms of discrimination. The situation has improved over time, and people of Indian origin in particular have become one of the most economically successful ethnic groups in the country. At the same time, immigration has become a political bone of contention, and hate crimes against minorities — including a wave of vandalism and break-ins targeting Indian mosques and Hindu temples — have risen during the pandemic. “It’s impressive to see a British Indian trying for such a top job,” said Sander Katvala, director of British Future, a think tank that studies sentiment on immigration, identity and race. Sunak grew up in the port of Southampton, two hours’ drive south-west of London. His parents were born in East Africa – which became home to a significant population of Indian origin during British colonial rule – and immigrated to Britain more than 60 years ago. His father was a doctor and his mother ran a local pharmacy, careers that enabled them to send Sunak to one of Britain’s top boarding schools, Winchester College. The story continues He went on to Oxford University and then Goldman Sachs and a hedge fund before earning an MBA at Stanford University. There he met Akshata Murty, the daughter of a billionaire Indian IT company. Already wealthy from his finance jobs, Sunak became much richer after marrying Murthy in 2009, in what the Indian press called “Bangalore’s wedding of the year”. Rishi Sunak meets supporters at a Conservative Party leadership election debate on Tuesday in Birmingham, England. (Rui Vieira/Associated Press) For the Conservative Party, which has long struggled to attract non-white voters, Sunak’s entry into politics in 2014 was a gift. In his first election, he won a seat in Parliament representing a wealthy, staunchly conservative constituency in North Yorkshire, where he owned a fortune. He quickly rose through the ranks of the party, winning favor for his financial experience and charm. In early 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic took hold, Prime Minister Boris Johnson appointed him head of the Treasury. It was in that role that Sunak became a national name, primarily for overseeing a popular program that kept salaries flowing during pandemic-related lockdowns. His youthful appearance didn’t hurt. Groomed and often pictured in a skimpy outfit, flashing his teeth, he became known in the tabloids as ‘Dishy Rishi’. He has strong conservative credentials, supports Brexit – which was fueled by anti-immigrant sentiment – and rails against the “woke-up nonsense” he says “pervades public life”. At the same time, he has spoken proudly of his Hindu faith and celebrated the success of immigrants like his parents. Although he acknowledges his privileged upbringing, he has spoken about dealing with racism – including being taunted with swear words – and how it “stings in a way that few other things do”. Sunak was well placed to seek the prime ministership after Johnson – who has been hit by a series of embarrassing scandals – announced he would step down on September 5. As Sunak survived round after round of votes by his party’s lawmakers to narrow the field of potential successors, the country reacted to his nomination with a mixture of celebration and bewilderment. “This is another proud moment in the history of the Conservative Party,” said Nayaz Qazi, director of the London-based Conservative Friends of India. “The leadership campaign showed how rich the diversity of the Conservative Party is and how it reflects modern Britain.” Haroon Iqbal, a 50-year-old immigrant from India who moved to Nottingham in the 1970s, said Sunak was “not like me or the people I know”. “He is rich. I don’t know if he’s ever worked a regular job and his ideas are too conservative for me,” Iqbal said last week while visiting London’s Brick Lane, a street known for its Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi restaurants. “But of course it’s nice to see another Indian have great success and be at the top.” In India, the glowing coverage of Sunak and his campaign was a front-runner in the press. Much of the interest comes from his close ties to Indian elites through his wife and his frank discussion of his religion while on the campaign trail. “It is the Gita that gave me strength,” he said during a recent campaign visit to a Hindu temple in London covered by the Times of India – a reference to the Bhagavad Gita, a well-known holy text. British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss speaks during a Conservative Party leadership election debate on Tuesday in Birmingham, England. (Rui Vieira/Associated Press) His Indian prowess will likely do little to help Sunak in the match against Truss. He is widely seen as having a more voter-friendly stance on the economy, which, amid inflation and rising energy costs, is one of the public’s biggest concerns. Both candidates promised to cut taxes. But Truss, 47 — who also went to Oxford and has been a prominent party leader — has more experience in government, having joined Parliament in 2010. He has served as Secretary of Justice, Secretary General to the head of the Ministry of Finance and Minister of International Trade. As secretary of state, she has used her pulpit to make announcements about Russia’s war in Ukraine and to announce major sanctions against Russian businesses and nationals. “Economic commitments are on her side in the leadership contest,” said Tom Quinn, professor of government at the University of Essex. Also working to Truss’ advantage is the selection process, in which a relatively small group of party members — about 160,000 — vote online and by mail. “It’s a larger and whiter group than the general population who vote Conservative,” said Paul Whiteley, a professor at the University of Essex who studies voting behavior and public opinion. “Also not everyone is rich. Many have a resentment of the rich, which gives Truss an advantage compared to Sunak, who is considered part of the super-rich.” Critics have called Sunak a “globalist” and point out that he had a US green card until last year. It doesn’t help that he owns properties in London, North Yorkshire and Santa Monica. In a video from his college days that recently went viral, Sunak admits that he “doesn’t have any working-class friends.” In another widely circulated image, he appears confused about how to pay for a fill-up at a gas station. Columnists blast him for wearing a custom suit that cost more than $4,000 and Prada suede loafers that retail for nearly $600. In a debate last month, Sunak dismissed such criticism, saying: “I think people judge people by their character, not their bank account.” This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.
