Rishi Sunak to Become UK Prime Minister

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak addressing the press.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak addressing the press.
File

A politician with Kenyan roots Rishi Sunak is poised to become the next Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (UK).

Sunak was on Monday, October 24, declared the winner of the Tory Leadership contest by the Chairman of the 1922 Committee Graham Brady.

He is the new leader of the Conservative party, the party with the majority and therefore succeeds Liz Truss as the Prime Minister and will occupy House 10 Downing Street in London.

Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak speaks during the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland, Britain, November 3, 2021.
Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak speaks during the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland, Britain, November 3, 2021.
Reuters

"As the returning officer in the leadership election, I can confirm that we have received one valid candidate and Rishi Sunak is therefore elected as leader of the conservative party," Bradi announced.

His victory came after the withdrawal of Penny Mordaunt from the race. Penny congratulated Sunak for his victory and pledged her support.

"As a result, we have now chosen our next Prime Minister. The decision is a historic one and shows once again the diversity and talent of our party. Rishi has my full support,"

"We all owe it to the country, to each other and rise to unite and work together for the good of the nation," Mordaunt stated.

Sunak is the son of a General Practitioner father and a pharmacist mother who were born in Kenya and Tanzania respectively.

His parents migrated to the UK, where the incoming Prime Minister was educated. He attended Winchester College - an all-boys public boarding school and later Lincoln College in Oxford.

The 41-year-old secured First Class honours in Philosophy, Politics and Economics, after which he joined Stanford University where he obtained an MBA. 

His maiden political victory came in 2015 when he won the Yorkshire parliamentary race in 2015 under the Conservative Party.

Sunak was re-elected as MP in the 2017 General Election. In 2019, he backed Boris Johnson in his quest to become Conservative Party leader and subsequent Prime Minister.

He also served as the Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Finance Minister.

An image of Boris Johnson
Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrives at the Conservative Party's headquarters in central London on Tuesday 23rd July 2019.
NPR