The Press in the UK | Rishi Sunak’s coronation greeted with skepticism in London

(London) Everything is definitely going very fast in the United Kingdom.

Jean-Christophe Laurence
The Press

Just five days after the resignation of Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak won the Conservative Party leadership race on Monday, becoming the country’s new prime minister, the third in less than three months.

Wealthy 42-year-old ex-banker Sunak was handed the keys to Downing Street during the day after his sole rival, Penny Mordaunt, quit after failing to garner the 100 sponsorships needed from among the 357 Conservative MPs.

The other potential candidate, Boris Johnson, had withdrawn the day before, to the great relief of many Britons, who feared a return of the ousted leader, who resigned at the end of June due to repeated scandals.

For Sunak, this appointment has the air of revenge, he who had lost the leadership race, in early September, against Truss.

But the task promises to be colossal – even suicidal – for this former Chancellor of the Exchequer (Minister of Finance), who inherits a divided party and a country on the verge of recession, where social anger begins to rumble . Between the cost of living crisis (inflation at 10%), pending political issues (Scotland, Northern Ireland), financial aid to Ukraine and undigested Brexit, the new Prime Minister will have many issues to settle, in the short term. and in the medium term.

“There is no doubt that we are facing a profound economic challenge,” Sunak acknowledged Monday during a speech. We need stability and unity, and bringing the party and the country together will be my top priority, ”he said in front of a British flag, a frozen smile and a vaguely optimistic tone.

“It is the greatest privilege of my life to serve the party I love and in turn give to the country to which I owe so much,” he added, promising to serve with “integrity and humility.”

During a closed meeting held in the process, the new Prime Minister would have also urged the Tories to “unite” under penalty of “dying” two years before the legislative elections, according to what reports the Agency France-Presse, quoting participants in this meeting.

The voice of Londoners

A follower of budgetary prudence, Rishi Sunak seems to be the perfect antidote to the disastrous tax experiments of Liz Truss. During the race for the leadership of the party, he had also criticized the economic program of his rival, accusing him on several occasions of living in a “fairy tale”.

His handling of the COVID-19 crisis, while he was Chancellor of the Exchequer (2020-2022), also plays in his favor. His arrival in power should temporarily reassure the markets, which saw a stabilization of the pound sterling on Monday, after it had plunged to an all-time low in recent weeks.

But in the streets of the capital, we were much less enthusiastic.

Between anger, sarcasm and lucidity, most Londoners interviewed by The Press criticized the extreme “ridiculousness” of the Conservative Party, which keeps “embarrassing the UK” with its succession of “clownish” and “unprofessional” prime ministers.

For some, Rishi Sunak was perhaps “the least bad” of all the candidates. Certainly better, in any case, than the polarizing Boris Johnson, whose return would have been “a serious mistake”, according to Kelly Farrow.

Many believe, however, that this ex-investment banker, married to a millionaire richer than King Charles III, will not be very sensitive to the reality of the real world. “I have no illusions. These people are completely disconnected,” whistles Beverly Kanuga, sitting on the terrace of a café near Victoria Station.

But the worst, they say, is the indecency of this appointment in closed circuit.

After the Johnson debacle and the Truss disaster, many believe the Tories were under a moral obligation to call an election, rather than impose another prime minister on the rest of the country. “It’s the third in two months. At this point, we should have had our say. In my opinion, it’s abuse, ”says Andrew Cobley, cigarette in mouth, at the entrance to a pub.

“Simply amazing,” adds Lou Miller from his window, roughly summing up the general feeling. These tories really are a bunch of idiots. »

Limit the damage

Rishi Sunak is the first non-white to become Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, a symbol in itself.

This grandson of Indian immigrants made his fortune in finance, before turning to politics. Member of Parliament for Yorkshire (north of England) since 2015, he was Chancellor of the Exchequer under Boris Johnson before resigning with a bang and leading the revolt which precipitated the fall of his former boss, following the controversies of the “partygate”.

Recognized for his elegance, this lover of chic shoes and well-tailored suits went through high-ranking private schools and the University of Oxford, making him a pure product of the British elite.

Some have criticized him for being too fearful, too technocratic, even too slick. But it is also said that he has an eye for detail, rigor and a good knowledge of files.

Enough to survive the ordeal?

“He is certainly more competent than Liz Truss and Boris Johnson, concludes Christopher Stafford, professor of British politics at the University of Nottingham. That said, his economic policies are unlikely to be very popular. The best he can do is to limit the damage. With a little stability and leadership, he may be able to regain the confidence of the public and the markets and save his party from being swept away in the next election. »

Rishi Sunak will take office on Tuesday morning, after being officially appointed by the new king, Charles III. For both of them, it will be a great first.

With Agence France-Presse