In a mere two months, the United Kingdom’s prime minister (PM) has changed three times. Compare this rapid change with the three PMs before that, who collectively served Britain for 28 years. In July, Boris Johnson stepped down from the role of prime minister following a series of scandals that motivated dozens of his government officials to resign. His successor, Liz Truss, resigned just 44 days after being elected, due to a series of inflation-causing tax cuts that drove her approval ratings to unfathomable lows. These swift transitions of power are a red flag, signaling the United Kingdom’s immense dissatisfaction with the social, political and economic policies of the Conservative Party. Unfortunately, the UK’s newest PM, Rishi Sunak, will not ease citizens’ tension with Conservative leadership because he is no different from his unpopular predecessors.
Sunak’s leadership is problematic because he was never actually elected by citizens for the PM role. He faced no competition for the position as he was elected unopposed by the Conservative government. Because of the lack of opposition Sunak faced, his plan for improving the country’s high inflation and economic crisis is unclear.
During his recent campaign against Liz Truss’ inflation-causing policies, Sunak “called her plan for growth via tax cuts ‘fantasy island’ economics.” On the other hand, Sunak was an ardent supporter of Brexit earlier in his political career, hailing it as a “once-in-a-generation opportunity for [the UK] to take back control of its destiny.” Both Brexit and Truss’ tax cuts have contributed to the country’s soaring inflation. Studies conducted at Ireland’s Economic and Social Research Institute have concluded that “trade from the UK to the EU had fallen 16% on the levels anticipated had Brexit not happened,” causing the price of imported goods and household costs to rise. Although Sunak’s support of Brexit contradicts his disdain for inflationary policy, Jenny Gross from The New York Times wrote that “becoming an early supporter of Brexit [helped Mr. Sunak] pave the way for his unusually rapid ascent in British politics.” Evidently, Sunak’s economic policy lies with whichever side will garner him more political support.
Sunak is the first person of color to ascend to the role of PM. For many, his election is a positive indication that the color of a person’s skin is less of a limiting factor than it once was in terms of reaching a position of power. However, Sunak’s £700 million fund toward anti-immigration measures will actually make it harder for people of color and refugees seeking asylum to enter the UK. According to Sunak’s Ten Point Plan for Britain, he will “tight[en] rules on asylum, capping the number of refugees.” In his campaign video, he describes his mother’s journey from India to the UK, which created a “better future” for him and his family. By implementing anti-immigration measures, Sunak restricts countless migrants from receiving the same chances for betterment that he had.
Sunak will also be an unpopular leader due to his lack of relatability with the working class. He is nearly two times more wealthy than the queen was at the time of her death, with his and his wife Akshata Murty’s combined net worth totaling at approximately $837 million. Although the wealth of a person alone does not determine their ability to lead, Sunak’s public comments have made it evident that his wealth makes him feel superior to others. In one video, Sunak was quoted saying, “I have friends who are aristocrats, I have friends who are upper class, I have friends who are working-class…well, not working class.”
He and his wife also avoided paying taxes on their exorbitant fortune for years by filing for non-domicile status; the BBC estimates that in doing so, Murty avoided paying £2.1 million a year in UK taxes. The leader of the Labour Party, Keir Starmer, is right to say that it would be “breathtaking hypocrisy” if the chancellor’s wife had reduced her tax bill as he raised taxes for millions of workers.”
PM Rishi Sunak of the Conservative Party shows no signs of straying from his predecessors’ poor ethics, ambiguous economic planning and detachment from the people of the United Kingdom. His swift rise to power may also lead to a fast decline in popularity, and the world should watch the UK eagerly to see if yet another leader will be hastily ushered into the role of PM, marking the fourth transition of power this year.
Chaya Sandhu is an Opinion Intern for the fall 2022 quarter. She can be reached at clsandhu@uci.edu.