The wealthy ex-banker Rishi Sunak, appointed next British prime minister on Monday, could well be the “last chance” of the Conservative Party, which has seen two prime ministers resign from its ranks in less than two months. More than instability within his party, the former finance minister will have to deal with a United Kingdom in the midst of an economic crisis.
At 42, Rishi Sunak has become the youngest head of government in contemporary UK history, but also the first of Indian descent, his grandparents having lived in Punjab, a region in northern India. , before the independence of this country.
Mr Sunak won after Boris Johnson withdrew and his opponent Penny Mordaunt failed to qualify. As the Conservatives are in the majority in the House of Commons, Mr. Sunak will be instructed on Tuesday by King Charles III to form a new government.
Mr. Sunak owes his success in part to his handling of the pandemic, said professor emeritus of political science at the University of Quebec in Montreal Alexander Macleod.
Then Boris Johnson’s finance minister, he “wasn’t afraid to use public funds” to help those financially affected by the pandemic. “I’m not saying he’s a big proponent of state intervention in the economy, but he does, if he thinks it’s necessary. This is what I would call pragmatic conservatism. »
After the disastrous economic results of Liz Truss’ mandate, which lasted only 44 days, Mr. Sunak’s pragmatism “reassures”, according to the professor. “When he campaigned against Truss, he said his ideas were absolutely crazy. […] So he still arrives with a prejudice that is favorable to him. »
But within the Conservative Party, Rishi Sunak “is considered one of those who led to the resignation of Johnson, […] and there are many who have not forgiven him for it, ”says the researcher. “Sunak was seen as the Brutus of the regime. »
Still, “several of Johnson’s former supporters rallied around Sunak saying, ‘we may not like him, but he’s someone you can count on for efficiency’. “. The new leader will have no choice but to unite his members, since “if they continue to have battles, it’s really over for the Party”.
A disturbing way of life
Soaring energy and interest rates, consumer and business morale at half mast, distrust of the markets: Rishi Sunak inherited a British economy on its knees and with a very deteriorated image among investors. The one who previously headed the British Treasury and worked for the investment bank Goldman Sachs comes from the business world, which he will have to do his best to reassure.
“The UK is a great country, but there is no doubt that we are going through deep economic challenges,” he said during an address at Conservative Party headquarters shortly after his appointment. “We need stability and unity, and bringing the party and the country together will be my top priority,” he added.
Unlike Boris Johnson, who “knows how to use the verb to attract people”, Mr. Sunak is not a “populist”, according to the researcher. “His strength is his skill. I don’t see him making Churchillian speeches to encourage people. But it is obvious that it will be well received by the financial community. »
Highlighting the “hard work” of his immigrant parents and grandparents, Rishi Sunak quickly rose to the British elite. He attended posh Winchester College, then studied politics, philosophy and economics at the prestigious universities of Oxford, England, and Stanford, USA.
In recent years, his expensive suits and his lifestyle in an opulent villa have raised eyebrows.
His wife, Akshata Murty, daughter of an Indian multi-billionaire, found herself in the spotlight in April. As she was considered by the British tax authorities to be a person “not domiciled” in the United Kingdom, her income from abroad was not taxed. This perfectly legal status inconvenienced the British, in the midst of a purchasing power crisis. The wife of Rishi Sunak, then British Minister of Finance, immediately announced that her income abroad would now be taxed in the United Kingdom.
“Trying to present yourself as the voice of the people [dans ces conditions]it’s not easy,” said Mr. Macleod.
With Agence France-Presse