Rishi Sunak to become Britain's next PM after months of turmoil

Some would say the glass floor was broken with the appointments of Britain's first Asian prime minister. The day the Dewali festival of light started.

The problem is that Sunak is still a Conservative. It wasn't that Truss had to go - she did of course - the Conservative Government had to go. The U.K. needs a general election. Democracy demands it. Scotland must be free to rejoin the E.U.

Sunak and Boris made a deal, Boris didn't stand and told his supporters not to support Mordaunt. I expect Boris wants Foreign minister in return.

Time for Scotland and all of Ireland to walk their own line me thinks. GB has become TB. A banker PM whose wife is from a family well known for fraud and worker exploitation says it all about the state of Great Tiny Britain.

The problem is that Sunak is still a Conservative

... a bigger problem is Sunak is an agitator, and he got rewarded for all his agitations, and he knows now his damaging ways will be rewarded.

Mr Kipling: Boris will not feature in the Cabinet. I expect many of HIS old cabinet will though. I expect Gove to be back, and Penny Mordaunt possibly given one of the great offices. There will be little fanfare tomorrow. I expect a pretty grim, short statement from Sunk followed by a swift appointment of an experienced cabinet (many of whom will NOT be Sunak supporters). The next election is almost certainly already lost - It is Sunaks job to leave the economy in some from of better shape for Labour in two years.

The last thing the UK needs is a General Election right now - a six week media circus whilst there are far more important things to focus on. To be honest , if Scotland force a referendum and decide to be independent, then I'd be sad as a Unionist - but @The Avenger, I'm not sure you realize how difficult it would be for Scotland just to 'join' the EU. They would have to go through a long arduous process to gain entry and satisfy many financial requirements , which they currently cannot. That would include adopting the Euro as a currency and overturning many Scottish Laws and replacing them with European laws.

The richest man in the U.K. ! He paid for that position.

8T

The richest man in the U.K. ! He paid for that position.

That would be James Dyson. Sunak does not even make the top 20.

I'm no conservative supporter but we don't need racist posts and comments.

Yrral: Suggest you look at the problems in your own country. The fact that the UK has now had Women (plural) and a British Asian as a leader, with no question asked (such as the ridiculous claims about Obamas 'birthing') should lead you to ask yourself some serious questions about your own country.

Yes - its an embarrassing turn of events having a PM last six weeks - one that will probably not be repeated in our lifetimes.

Some would say the glass floor was broken with the appointments of Britain's first Asian prime minister.

Others don't care about superficial things like race and are more concerned with how he will perform.

I hope he succeeds where others have failed.

Democracy demands it. Scotland must be free to rejoin the E.U.

There is a general election every 4 years. That is democracy. And please stop with this Scotland nonesense, if England stopped bailing them out financially they would be broke tomorrow, please educate yourself.

@TokyoJoe: Spot on about Scotland.

On a small note, it's 5 years in the UK, but the ruling party can once again dissolve Parliament when they see fit as BJ did repeal the fixed term that was put in place following the 2010 election.

Attack the policies, not the man.

theResident

Today 07:33 am JST

On a small note, it's 5 years in the UK, but the ruling party can once again dissolve Parliament when they see fit as BJ did repeal the fixed term that was put in place following the 2010 election.

Right, but under the 2011 Fixed-term Parliament Act it requires a vote in Parliament that must pass by a two-thirds majority.

@Simon Foston: I think you will find the super majority requirement has also been removed. That was how Labour prevented an election in 2019 for so long until finally caving in and Corbyn commited political suicide by doing as such.

Amazing that a man with the smack of a colonial descendant should steer the nation that once subjugated his original homeland. 

This may be the beginning of the end of the Anglo-Saxon era in history. 

Like it or not, however, the Anglo-Saxon bastion will keep dominating the world linguistically, industrially, politically and all. Today, English has become a lingua franca for world people to communicate with.

8TToday 07:12 am JST

The richest man in the U.K. ! He paid for that position.

Sunak is the richest MP in Parliament. The richest man in the UK is the Ukrainian-born oligarch Leonard Blavatnik, long-time funder of Tony Blair.

Congrats to PM Sunak. He comes across as hard-working and honest. Yes - fabulously wealthy - but that means he is in not in politics for the money as a career politician. His being Asian is irrelevant in terms of performance. Only racist extremists would challenge his background.

PM Sunak has 2 years to get the UK back off her knees and soaring again. He will need to shake things up. Good luck to him.

When are the people of the UK going to get the chance to elect their leader? Keep greasing that revolving door at No10.

Time for a general election and for Ireland to be united and Scotland independent.

@Padraig: Excellent input from you. I commend you. Miss your point on how a General Election would fix either problem however. It may in fact weaken your position.

Scotland firstly... The SNP have effectively failed in their mission since making all the gains north of the border and I foresee Labour making a large comeback in the next election and the mandate for another referendum being removed entirely.

Ireland, I'm not prepared to argue with you given your name, no disrespect. Problems focused on religious lines rarely go away, if ever.

Finally something good is happening in UK !! Coming out of racist image.. Very hopeful of this great, capable, and promising leader !!

it may take for ever to see a person from non-Chinese race to become a prime minister in China or a person from non-Japanese race to become a prime minister of Japan !!

Another downward step in the decline of a once great nation.

A very positive step in the further advance of a great nation.

Wallace,3 Prime Minister is 6 weeks,this set a record in British history,wonder why the colonies were so successful

Of course they are successful, many belong to the Commonwealth.

Congrats to PM Sunak. He comes across as hard-working and honest. Yes - fabulously wealthy - but that means he is in not in politics for the money as a career politician. His being Asian is irrelevant in terms of performance. Only racist extremists would challenge his background.

PM Sunak has 2 years to get the UK back off her knees and soaring again. He will need to shake things up. Good luck to him.

Agreed 100%

Boris Johnson comes out the winner in this.

Realizes the UK economy is spiraling downward at too high of a pace right now, so he pulls back.

He will return.

The American politician in him knows what he is doing.

would be constrained by the mistakes made by his predecessor Truss.

Huh. In the end she don’t do anything, other than promise to spend loads of money and enact pro-growth tax reforms, but then equivocated on the latter and ultimately the former too - but Sunak can do what he likes now. The guy who lost to Truss in the first place.

"There is no leeway on him being anything other than extraordinarily conservative and cautious," he said.

It depends on how much guts he has, how high he wants to hike taxes as the UK heads into recession, and how much money he doesn’t have that he wants the government to spend.

While his ethnic backgrounds have been the main focus, what strikes me more is his age. A present-day British elite and Tory type, no?

Some would say the glass floor was broken with the appointments of Britain's first Asian prime minister.

How about a human being became prime minister? Does a country's success depend on the race of an individual?

happy Divali Rishi.

The time has come for the people of the UK to choose their leader and the leading party.

The youngest PM in modern times.

@Mark: The UK has never chosen their leader. It's not a Republic. The public choose the ruling party. They did so in 2019 and that mandate is for a period not exceeding 5 years.

In 110 days since Boris resigned the nation has seen three prime ministers, the death of the queen, and the arrival of King Charles.

Jul 7: Johnson resigns as PM.

Sept 6: Truss becomes PM.

Sept 8: Queen dies. Charles becomes king.

Sept 19: Queen's funeral.

Oct 21: Liz Truss reigns as PM.

Oct 24: Rishi Sunak becomes the third PM in a little more than 100 days.

100 days that have shaken the nation.

People did not say anything about Trump's money when he became President (tbf, there were quite a few other things that was criticizeable). Why now people are obsessed with how much he has?

It's not like less rich PM would give his salary to the poor.

@wallace: Which is now all in the past. The job now is to focus on the future.

It must really sting the far left that the Conservatives elected both the first female PM AND the first non-white PM. So much for the theory that the right is somehow racist and bigoted.

Good! Onya bike BoJo!

Does it really matter that much who is PM? Until the Tories are crushed, Britain will always be a paid-up member of the greed-is-good, damn-the-poor club. It's failed as a policy, the Tories have failed and the UK has no vision except to enrich those with too much already.

Rishi Sunak gives statement as new Conservative leader – watch in full

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w40k3fdqatc

All the words are there and in the right order, but it like someone is working him with there foot or turning a handle.

The awkwardness, any lack expression, devoid of charm presence or pantonality.

Times like this a leader needs to stun and dazzle with individuality, to hold the publics attention.

It felt like Rishi Sunak had been nailed to the floor

It must really sting the far left that the Conservatives elected both the first female PM AND the first non-white PM. So much for the theory that the right is somehow racist and bigoted

How trivial. Some on the far left are obsessed with race and gender. Some on the far right are obsessed with it too.

The sensible people are not even thinking about this at the moment, let alone commenting on it.

There are far more important things to be thinking about. First for me is can Sunak unite the governing party to the point where it can actually govern. After that, can he deliver measures which can improve the mess the country is in which is partly created by the party he now leads.

A tough one.

Times like this a leader needs to stun and dazzle with individuality, to hold the publics attention. 

After Johnson’s idiotic attention seeking and the spectacular incompetence of Truss, I think someone who can improve the mess the UK is in is more important.

A boring grown-up isn’t necessarily a bad thing at the moment.

I'm no conservative supporter but we don't need racist posts and comments.

@Wallace, exactly, we don't need racist posts.

Amazing that a man with the smack of a colonial descendant should steer the nation that once subjugated his original homeland. 

This may be the beginning of the end of the Anglo-Saxon era in history. 

Like it or not, however, the Anglo-Saxon bastion will keep dominating the world linguistically, industrially, politically and all. Today, English has become a lingua franca for world people to communicate with.

@voiceofokinawa, my, my, my, you must be in the 70s ? 80s? The younger generation does not even think about colonialism anymore.

happy Divali Rishi.

@Eastman, Iyami or honesty?

There are a number of institutions and thinktanks to follow this week

The office of budget responsibility

Year-to-date deficit on track, but policy costs set to mount

https://obr.uk/

OBR report on Hunts budget, Friday 31st will set the ball rolling, size of the alleged public spending cuts and tax increases.

Report from the IFS (next week)

Mini-Budget 2022 and follow-up

https://ifs.org.uk/collections/mini-budget-2022-and-follow

On Thursday the 3rd November the BOE is expected to make a statement in relation to current interst rates.

Rishi Sunak first week also includes a PMQ on Wednesday, Labour will be taking aim, expect a true beasting

Friday is the deadline for power sharing in Northen Ireland .

Look you may think that I am be a harsh and bitchy, criticizing Rishi Sunak demeanour and oratory skills.

I am not, board member always remined me when addressing our investors on monthly meeting, passion, passion, passion, conviction, don't appear as though you are reading off an auto-que

itsonlyrocknroll - "All the words are there and in the right order, but it like someone is working him with there foot or turning a handle."

He so obviously had his eyes locked onto the teleprompter, just off to the left of the camera. The emotional word stress was falling on the boundaries of the teleprompter phrasing.

Personally, I don't rate the ability to stun and dazzle, shock and awe - I prefer the Merkel type.

What the UK needs is to revitalize it's industrial base, moving the GDP from 9% mfg to say 10 or 11% in two years. That requires distinguishing between speculative investment which offer quick profits for insiders, and longer term R&D, science and engineering, and manufacturing investment. Those longer term investments pay off long term with jobs, skills, and export earnings.

The days of City of London playing with oligarchs money is gone, so there is no other choice.

charles chevaux, yes I know it may be fake even, to wax lyrical, animated, however Blair and Obama gave true master classes how to win hearts and minds.

Rishi Sunak, is going to be batting for the nation, at a time when delivering bad news, and at the same time wanting to steady the markets.

It is unlikely a General Election be on the horizon, no matter how shrill Sturgeon SNP or Labours Angela Rayner scream  

So it is wise to expect Sunak to stay put until January 2025.

I believe Sunak to be smart, I also believe this economic malaise does not totally lie at the door of Truss 44 days or so in office.

theResident

@wallace: Which is now all in the past. The job now is to focus on the future.

No, not really. The electorate will remember it all until the timing of the next general election and then the Tories will be out.

Don't ask what the new PM can do for you. Ask what you will be doing for him.

@theResident

Miss your point on how a General Election would fix either problem however. It may in fact weaken your position.

You are probably right. But people are strange. Some elect the party, others the man. Having a GE would give people the feeling that they have some say in the matter. For better or worse.

Scotland firstly... The SNP have effectively failed in their mission since making all the gains north of the border and I foresee Labour making a large comeback in the next election and the mandate for another referendum being removed entirely.

I couldn't agree more. They had their chance and blew it. But I do think they deserve another shot given how much of an embarrassing mess the UK is right now.

Ireland, I'm not prepared to argue with you given your name, no disrespect. Problems focused on religious lines rarely go away, if ever.

I'm afraid I have no answer for this either. Despite all the bleating from both sides, nobody has.

tata.

Angela Rayner

Why is Angela Rayner’s name coming up here?

What is it about Angela Rayner which brings up such dislike from some people? Is it a class thing? Is it her dialect? Her background?

She certainly doesn’t have Rees-Mogg’s cut glass pronunciation or perfect grammar, but I’d say in terms of content, she probably talks less bollocks than he does.

@wallace: You've clearly read none of my posts (fair enough - I assume you are a busy man) Sunaks only job is to leave the economy in some kind of working shape for the next Labour Government to work with.

I will be doing nothing for him - not a UK resident or taxpayer. Just a keen observer and not QUITE as bitter as you clearly are.

In any case, I still doubt your predicted landslide. It's a long way away - and what if in the Summer of 2024, the polls look good and Sunak calls a snap election? Let's not forget the fixed term law drawn up in 2011 has been repealed. Its a long, long time in Politics and Labour don't have a Tony Blair this time round. That is their biggest problem. Not sure Statue Starmer is their answer in the long term. John Major pulled it off in 1992 versus Kinnock against all the odds.

...in March 1990. Labour had a 25% lead in the opinion polls.

The time has come for the people of the UK to choose their leader and the leading party.

The same "people of the UK" who voted for Brexit? That result proved that those people are not qualified to make such important decisions.

Time for the UK to overhaul its entire government system.

If you haven't noticed, this one does not work.

theResident

I have read all the posts.

So you voted for Sunak even though you are not a resident or paying tax?

I am not bitter and not being a Tory Party supporter does not make me.

I fear for my family who suffered through the covid and lockdowns. Many of them now have to choose between heating or eating. My grandchildren coping with uni and student debt.

There will be a conservative party defeat in 2025 at the latest. If I'm wrong then it will be.

I even predict at the next General Election Boris Johnson will lose his seat.

I don't expect the working class will see much from the new guy. Boris made promises about leveling and investing in the north and giving the £300 million a week saved from Brexit to the NHS.

One family member has been waiting one year for an op. Other people are dying just waiting for an ambulance to arrive.

@painkiller: Oh? A 6 week blip suddenly means the system doesn't work? Seriously mate - after what happened after your last election I think you need to have a good look in the mirror.

painkiller

Time for the UK to overhaul its entire government system.

> If you haven't noticed, this one does not work.

It's been working a lot longer than the American one. You want to replace our system with the American one where your president is not elected by the voters but by 534 people at the Electoral College.

Pity they didn't teach British politics in your civic classes.

Congrats, Richi. You are now a historical British figure - the first non-white (he's a non-European Caucasian) PM. Here's hoping you all the best and here's hoping you don't have to take all the racist/ethnic bashing and conspiracy theory crap that our US counterpart Barack Obama had to take. Here's hoping the British public is more mature to accept and work with YOU. And as for the National front types, they can go shed their tears in their teacups in a corner somewhere and go mumble to themselves. Wah.

Congratulations, Rishi Sunak.

yes @wallace: Overseas Conservative Party Member for many years.So, Yes, when the vote goes to the membership I have a vote.

I wouldn't describe Angela Rayner as dislikeable.

To agree or disagree, to comment or debate Angela Rayner political opinions shouldn't be mistaken for personal dislike.

As current labour deputy leader, Ms Rayner has a front center contribution to be proud of, even has been touted as a future possible leader.

Angela Rayner is not a person one should or would like to be ignored anywhere.

theResident

yes @wallace: Overseas Conservative Party Member for many years.So, Yes, when the vote goes to the membership I have a vote.

My question would be, and I'm not saying you are wrong, but is it right a Brit should vote in the election of the PM when they no longer live in the country or pay taxes? A decision that affects tens of millions of others.

I think you have been here for 15 years, if so, you lost your right to vote. Johnson promised to restore the vote for ex-pats but time ran out.

Well - maybe you are right. But I'm voting for the leader of the Conservative Party, not for PM. I wasn't a taxpayer when I voted for David Cameron to become leader when they were in opposition either. I have been here 15 years+, so yes lost right to vote. Maybe that bill will come to the floor again in another session of Parliament.

theResident

Well - maybe you are right. But I'm voting for the leader of the Conservative Party, not for PM.

You are voting for the PM if your party is in power. In the membership election, you voted for Sunak.

I wasn't a taxpayer when I voted for David Cameron to become leader when they were in opposition either. I have been here 15 years+, so yes lost right to vote. Maybe that bill will come to the floor again in another session of Parliament.

Yes, but have mixed feeling about voting in an election when I don't live there.