Indian–origin politician Rishi Sunak was appointed as the U.K.’s new finance minister on Thursday by Prime Minister, Boris Johnson in a Cabinet reshuffle. He is the son-in-law of Infosys co-founder, Narayana Murthy, and will be joining Home Secretary Priti Patel on the top government bench as the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Sunak is replacing Pakistani-origin Sajid Javid as Chancellor who had won a thumping majority in the December 2019 general election.
The 39 -year old is all set to move into No. 11 Downing Street, next door to the Prime Minister’s office as he takes charge for the position of Finance Minister.
Besides assuming one of the most important offices in Britain, Rishi Sunak has several other feathers up his sleeves. He has co-founded a 1-billion pound global investment firm, specializing in small British businesses, before he stepped into politics.
Mr Sunak has been the Conservative MP for Richmond in Yorkshire since 2015. He lives in Kirby Sigston, just outside the town of Northallerton. His father was a GP, and his mother was a pharmacist. His parents - who are of Indian origin - came to the UK from East Africa. He was born in 1980 in Southampton in Hampshire, and studied at the exclusive private school Winchester College. Mr Sunak then went on to Oxford University to read Philosophy, Politics and Economics, a tried and trusted route for aspiring Westminster politicians. He also studied for an MBA at Stanford University. Before entering politics he also worked for investment bank Goldman Sachs.
Rishi Sunak says, “From working in my mum’s tiny chemist shop to my experience building large businesses, I have seen first-hand how politicians should support free enterprise and innovation to ensure our future prosperity.”
If you enjoyed reading this article, we suggest you also read: