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The Right Honourable
Rishi Sunak
MP
Sunak facing frontward, with combed over black hair and a dark blue suit in front of a brown background.
Official portrait, 2022
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
In office
25 October 2022 – 5 July 2024
MonarchCharles III
Deputy
Preceded byLiz Truss
Succeeded byKeir Starmer
Senior political offices
2022‍–‍2024
Leader of the Conservative Party
In office
24 October 2022 – 2024
Preceded byLiz Truss
Succeeded byTBA
Ministerial offices
2018‍–‍2022
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Local Government
In office
9 January 2018 – 24 July 2019
Prime MinisterTheresa May
Preceded byMarcus Jones
Succeeded byLuke Hall
Parliamentary offices
2015‍–‍present
Member of Parliament
for Richmond and Northallerton
(Richmond (Yorks) 2015–2024)
Assumed office
7 May 2015
Preceded byWilliam Hague
Majority27,210 (47.2%)
Personal details
Born (1980-05-12) 12 May 1980 (age 44)
Southampton, England
Political partyConservative
Spouse
​
(m. 2009)​
Children2
Signature
Websiterishisunak.com
Rishi Sunak's voice
Sunak's first speech as prime minister
Recorded 25 October 2022

Rishi Sunak (/ˈrɪʃi ˈsuːnæk/; born 12 May 1980) is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2022 to 2024. He previously held two Cabinet positions under Boris Johnson, latterly as chancellor of the Exchequer from 2020 to 2022. Sunak has been the member of Parliament (MP) for Richmond and Northallerton since 2015.

Sunak was born in

Richmond (Yorks) at the 2015 general election. As a backbencher he supported the successful campaign for Brexit
.

Following the

global energy crisis. He resigned as chancellor in July 2022 during a government crisis
that culminated in Johnson's resignation.

Sunak stood in the

industrial disputes and strikes. During his premiership he was credited with improving the economy and stabilising national politics following the premierships of his predecessors, although many of his pledges and policy announcements ultimately went unfulfilled. He did not avert further unpopularity for the Conservatives—who, by the time of Sunak's election, had been in government for 12 years—and in the 2024 general election they were defeated in a landslide: the Labour Party leader, Keir Starmer
, succeeded him.

Early life and education (1980–2001)

Childhood in Southampton
A photograph of a cul-de-sac with large houses and some greenery
Spindlewood Close, site of childhood home
A row of short, red-bricked houses with different shopfronts. The one at the end has been converted into a pharmacy, with a sign reading "Sunak Pharmacy" in dark green lettering and the pharmacy green cross.
2013 photograph of his parents' pharmacy

Rishi Sunak was born on 12 May 1980 at

Kenya while Usha was born in Tanganyika. Sunak initially lived at Richmond Gardens in Portswood but following the births of his brother Sanjay (1982) and sister Raakhi (1985) the family moved to Spindlewood Close in Bassett.[2] His father was a general practitioner whilst his mother was a pharmacist.[3]
Sunak helped to run the family pharmacy during his adolescence. In a 2023 speech he reflected:

We all chipped in; as a teenager I helped deliver prescriptions and do the books. I learnt there the importance of being able to meet your commitments and make good on your promises ... the Sunak Pharmacy left me with a lasting respect for every small family business. This Conservative Party, the party of the grocer's daughter and the pharmacist's son, will always be the party of enterprise, the party of small business.[4]

Winchester College, where Sunak studied (pictured in 2011)

Sunak attended Oakmount Preparatory School until it closed in 1989 and moved to the

European Superstate".[9]


  • Capurro, Daniel (24 October 2022). "Rishi Sunak: The Star Wars fan son of a GP who rose to become Prime Minister". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 19 April 2024. Retrieved 27 May 2024.

Career

Business career (2001–2015)

A yellow-bricked London townhouse and a street
The headquarters of TCI, the hedge fund management firm that Sunak worked for

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The

coalition government was formed between the Conservatives—which held a plurality of seats—led by David Cameron, and the Liberal Democrats led by Nick Clegg
.

During the

Lord Brittan and Timothy Kitson.[14]

Backbencher (2015–2018)

Sunak grinning in front of a light grey-blue background
Official portrait, 2017

And although I am not from Yorkshire, they were immensely relieved to learn I was not from Lancashire either![15]

— Rishi Sunak in his maiden speech to the House of Commons, June 2015

Sunak was elected as an MP at the

parliamentary private secretary at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, working there until the 2018 reshuffle.[21]

During the

home secretary, Theresa May, was declared party leader after all other candidates withdrew and was subsequently invited to form a government.[28]

Ministerial roles (2018–2020)

Further information: Premiership of Theresa May
A close-up photograph of Theresa May, a smiling middle-aged woman with short grey hair, a dark blue suit and a necklace in front of light-coloured curtains.
Theresa May
A close-up photograph of Boris Johnson, a smiling middle-aged man with ruffled-up blonde hair, a dark blue suit and light blue tie in front of a bookcase.
Boris Johnson

In January 2018 May

parliamentary under-secretary of state for local government.[29] It was in his capacity as local government under-secretary that Sunak gave his first speech from the despatch box, shortly after his appointment.[30] Sunak voted for May's Brexit withdrawal agreement on all three occasions[31] and voted against a second referendum on any withdrawal agreement.[32] May's deal was rejected by Parliament on each of the three votes, leading her to announce her resignation as prime minister.[33]

Sunak supported the former foreign secretary,

chief secretary to the Treasury.[35] During the campaign for the general election held in December Sunak stood in for Johnson in debates hosted by the BBC and ITV.[36] Between his appointment as chief secretary and the 2020 reshuffle Sunak was often tipped for promotion in the press as one of Johnson's "favourites" and a rising star;[37] he was also supported by Dominic Cummings, Johnson's chief adviser.[38]

Chancellor of the Exchequer (2020–2022)

Main article: Chancellorship of Rishi Sunak
Sunak speaking, pen in hand, at a lectern with "Stay Alert > Control the Virus > Save Lives" on it, in a wood-panelled room with two Union flags in the background
Sunak speaking at a COVID-19 press conference, May 2020

Beginning in 2019 tensions rose between Cummings and Johnson's chancellor,

special advisers and replace them with those chosen by Number 10 and Cummings in particular: "Saj, look, your advisers, they're just people" said Johnson.[41] A horrified Javid instead chose to resign and defended his advisers, saying that "no self-respecting minister would accept those terms".[42]
Sunak—who was favoured by Cummings—was appointed his successor.

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Aliquam rhoncus mi odio, sit amet vehicula magna tempor volutpat. Cras neque elit, gravida vitae tellus viverra, tempor vulputate felis. Mauris eget urna arcu. Proin mi sem, suscipit in turpis at, luctus elementum velit. Pellentesque blandit faucibus erat, at porta quam facilisis a. Sed luctus egestas dolor, sed accumsan risus dapibus non. Nullam velit augue, gravida rutrum rutrum id, fringilla vitae purus. Mauris accumsan sagittis erat, nec finibus sapien pretium eget. Sed dui nisl, ullamcorper vitae facilisis vel, mollis sit amet enim. Duis rhoncus ultrices volutpat. Maecenas a finibus lectus. Suspendisse nec vulputate sem. Nunc quis nunc nulla. Aliquam et eros dolor. Cras laoreet lectus erat, ut molestie quam venenatis vitae. Sed eget efficitur eros. Integer erat mauris, ultricies a elit id, dictum semper metus. Praesent ac ante egestas nulla aliquam aliquam. Mauris tristique odio ut purus fringilla, vel euismod ipsum scelerisque. Nulla congue magna non hendrerit porttitor. Maecenas vel felis tortor. Nulla facilisi. Suspendisse potenti. Cras sagittis turpis vitae libero vulputate, eget molestie sem porta. Sed a efficitur neque. Vivamus suscipit aliquet diam ac feugiat. Fusce sit amet felis lacus. Curabitur condimentum eget leo ut rhoncus. Phasellus posuere nisl vel lorem viverra accumsan at et odio. Nulla ultrices, metus non tincidunt dignissim, nisi dolor suscipit turpis, vitae semper mauris augue sed lectus.

budget box the day of the October 2021 budget

Duis elementum, ex eu lobortis facilisis, lectus quam tempus est, sed mattis velit ante in ante. Nunc gravida, lorem vel eleifend dapibus, felis nunc laoreet lorem, ut sodales sem ligula ut enim. Sed ipsum lectus, bibendum vel sapien non, placerat gravida felis. Pellentesque nulla tellus, elementum eget malesuada nec, dictum eu ipsum. Fusce et facilisis justo. Donec gravida tellus id risus finibus venenatis. Aliquam felis ex, placerat a imperdiet id, vulputate id augue. Sed venenatis nec ligula quis dapibus. Nullam tristique, neque nec sagittis finibus, mi mi vestibulum tortor, non faucibus felis nisl vitae ante. Nulla faucibus mauris vel diam vestibulum interdum. Ut mattis quam venenatis augue tempor, non cursus justo fringilla. Praesent ac ante egestas nulla aliquam aliquam. Duis maximus id enim quis sollicitudin. Nulla dictum at lectus non dignissim. Cras tincidunt ultrices mi, eu condimentum metus lobortis non. Vivamus scelerisque dui ut ex lacinia, elementum viverra nibh dapibus. In sollicitudin massa sed magna bibendum mattis. Phasellus suscipit interdum semper. Cras laoreet lectus erat, ut molestie quam venenatis vitae. Sed eget efficitur eros. Integer erat mauris, ultricies a elit id, dictum semper metus. Praesent ac ante egestas nulla aliquam aliquam. Mauris tristique odio ut purus fringilla, vel euismod ipsum scelerisque. Nulla congue magna non hendrerit porttitor.

The public rightly expect government to be conducted properly, competently and seriously. I recognise this may be my last ministerial job, but I believe these standards are worth fighting for. ... it has become clear to me that our approaches are fundamentally too different.[43]

Leadership bids (July–October 2022)

Main articles: July–September 2022 Conservative Party leadership election and October 2022 Conservative Party leadership election
Further information: October 2022 United Kingdom government crisis
"Ready for Rishi" written in slanted, tapered and underlined blue block capitals.
Logo for Sunak's leadership bid

On 8 July Sunak announced his intention to run in the leadership election to replace Johnson.[44] His campaign launched with what Payne, Cole and Heale describe as a "slickly" edited video in which he emphasised his origins: "Let me tell you a story. About a young woman, almost a lifetime ago, who boarded a plane armed with hope for a better life and the love of her family".[45] Sunak rapidly garnered a lead amongst Conservative MPs which sustained throughout all five ballots:[46] in the last of the parliamentary votes, on 20 July, Sunak received 157 votes; the foreign secretary, Liz Truss, received 113; and the trade minister and former defence secretary Penny Mordaunt was eliminated on 105.[47] The two remaining contenders—Sunak and Truss—then faced a vote from the wider party membership, with the results to be announced in September.[48] Sunak promised X, Y and Z. He also warned against Truss's tax plans to grow the economy, calling them "unfunded" and a "fairytale";[49] the political scientist Vernon Bogdanor stated in a 2022 article that in contrast to Truss's "mood of optimism" Sunak "created a mood of sober realism".[50] With his opposition to Truss's popular "red meat" pledges, his having to defend his past economic record and his perceived disloyalty to Johnson by resigning as chancellor,[51] Truss led by large margins over Sunak in polls of Conservative members throughout the summer.[52] She was announced party leader on 5 September at Queen Elizabeth II Centre, defeating Sunak, but by a smaller margin than anticipated: 57 per cent to Sunak's 43.[53] The following day an ailing Queen appointed Truss as prime minister at Balmoral Castle in Scotland; Sunak returned to the backbenches.[54]

On 23 September Truss's chancellor,

US dollar and and prompted a response from the Bank of England,[56] vindicating Sunak.[57] On 14 October Truss dismissed Kwarteng and replaced him with Jeremy Hunt,[58] who reversed many aspects of the package, leading to further political instability;[59] following a government crisis, compounded by the resignation of Suella Braverman as home secretary and a chaotic vote on fracking,[60] Truss announced on 20 October her intention to resign as prime minister.[61]

This article is part of
a series about
Rishi Sunak
Chancellor of the Exchequer
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Electoral history

Rishi Sunak's signature

The threshold to be a candidate in the ensuing leadership election was set by the chairman of the 1922 Committee,[n 3] Graham Brady, at 100 nominations from Conservative MPs.[63] Sunak and his campaign decided to run the evening after Truss's resignation announcement, but not to officially declare until the requisite number of MPs had already voiced their support.[64] Johnson—at the time holidaying in the Dominican Republic—jetted back to Britain on the 21st and anticipation mounted that he would attempt a return to the premiership.[65] Penny Mordaunt was the first to formally declare as Sunak and Johnson picked up support without official declarations.[66] Sunak quickly reached the 100 figure; Johnson was struggling but still a "comfortable" second.[67] The pair held a meeting on the afternoon of the 22nd in Millbank Tower, in which Johnson proposed that Sunak withdraw and allow him to become leader, with Sunak becoming chancellor in a prospective third Johnson government: this was refused.[68] At 10:30 am the following day Sunak officially declared;[69] that evening Johnson withdrew from the contest, saying he could not unite the party:

There is a very good chance that I would be successful in the election with Conservative party members—and that I could indeed be back in Downing Street on Friday. But in the course of the last days I have come to the conclusion that this would simply not be the right thing to do. You can't govern effectively unless you have a united party in Parliament. ... Therefore I am afraid the best thing is that I do not allow my nomination to go forward and commit my support to whoever succeeds.[70]

The deadline to submit nomination papers was set at 2:00 pm on 24 October. One minute before the deadline Mordaunt withdrew her candidacy, stating that she had not received 100 supporters.[71] Sunak, the only person to have submitted a valid nomination, was declared leader.[72]

Premiership (2022–2024)

Main article: Premiership of Rishi Sunak

Cabinet and beginnings

Main article: Sunak ministry
A room full of people sitting in a white room at a dark green table. Sunak is in the centre of the image, speaking.
Sunak chairing the first meeting of his cabinet

As the leader of the majority party in the House of Commons, Sunak was appointed as prime minister by

Lord Liverpool in 1812[76]—and began to select his cabinet ministers. Sunak retained Hunt as chancellor, James Cleverly as foreign secretary, Ben Wallace as defence secretary and Mordaunt as leader of the House of Commons and lord president of the council; Braverman was reappointed by Sunak as home secretary, with the incumbent Grant Shapps demoted to business secretary; Michael Gove returned as levelling up secretary, a role he had held under Johnson; and Dominic Raab was once again given the roles of deputy prime minister and justice secretary, both of which he had held previously. Other appointments included Simon Hart as parliamentary secretary to the Treasury and chief whip, Nadhim Zahawi as party chairman, Oliver Dowden as chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Thérèse Coffey as environment secretary, Mel Stride as work and pensions secretary and Mark Harper as transport secretary.[77] In contrast to his predecessor—whose ministers were mainly those who had supported her—Sunak's was composed of MPs from across the political spectrum of the parliamentary Conservative Party; Riley-Smith described it as a "Cabinet of all the factions",[78] with the Financial Times commenting that Sunak "reached beyond his immediate circle in an effort to demonstrate party unity".[79] His decision to reappoint Braverman, however, was criticised by opposition MPs, citing her resignation over admitted breaches of the Ministerial Code.[80] The former chair of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, Alistair Graham, stated that "a breach of the Ministerial Code ... would make any minister an inappropriate appointment to one of the four most senior positions in government".[81]

Sunak took office amid rising food prices and energy costs, high inflation and low growth, widespread strike action and industrial disputes, a struggling NHS,[82] as well as leading a fractured and unpopular party, all inherited from his predecessors.[83] As the journalists Harry Cole and James Heale put it, "his prize was to try to fix it".[84] Riley-Smith comments that Sunak had "an unrelentingly gloomy in-tray: soaring inflation and interest rates, forecasts of recession, war in Europe. ... more than 20 percentage points behind Labour ... the most almighty patch-up job would be needed".[85] His first month in office prioritised economic and financial stability, with the autumn statement, delivered on 17 November, being a "bumper" collection of tax rises and spending cuts: altogether worth £55 billion.[86] In addition, on 3 November the Bank of England hiked interest rates by 0.75 per cent to 3 per cent, the largest increase in 30 years.[87]

A close-up photograph of Gavin Williamson
A close-up photograph of Nadhim Zahawi
A close-up photograph of Dominic Raab
Departures from the Sunak government November 2022–April 2023: top to bottom—Williamson, Zahawi and Raab

Sunak's premiership was also quickly faced with a scandal: in early November Gavin Williamson, his minister of state without portfolio, was alleged to have bullied colleagues—including MPs—throughout his parliamentary career, including telling one civil servant to "slit your throat".[88] On 8 November, fourteen days into Sunak's tenure, Williamson resigned from his ministerial role.[89] Sunak was criticised for his initial appointment of Williamson;[90] the education secretary Gillian Keegan stated that Sunak had not known of "specific allegations" regarding him.[91] Similarly, the tax arrangements of Nadhim Zahawi—who had briefly served as chancellor under Johnson[92]—attracted close scrutiny in January 2023 after it became public knowledge that he had paid a penalty to HM Revenue and Customs over unpaid tax as chancellor as part of a multi-million pound settlement.[93] Sunak ordered Laurie Magnus, the independent adviser on ministers' interests, to investigate Zahawi's personal financial arrangements and declarations.[94] The report, published on 29 January, identified a breach of the Ministerial Code: Sunak immediately dismissed Zahawi.[95] Following the dismissal, in February Sunak reshuffled his cabinet for the first time. Several government departments were restructured and Greg Hands was appointed as Zahawi's replacement.[96]

At the beginning of 2023 Sunak outlined the five main priorities—or "pledges"—for his premiership: halving inflation by the end of the year, growing the economy, reducing national debt, cutting NHS waiting lists and stopping illegal migration ("the boats").[97] He also announced that there would be a plan for students in England to study "some form" of mathematics until the age of 18.[98] In foreign affairs, Sunak continued Johnson's programme of military aid to Ukraine and reiterated Britain's support for the country.[99] In February he announced the Windsor Framework—a post-Brexit amendment to the Northern Ireland Protocol intended to ease controls on goods intended for Northern Ireland moving from Great Britain—with the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. It introduced, amongst other things, red and green lanes for goods moving through Northern Ireland into the Republic and the EU, versus through Great Britain intended for consumption in Northern Ireland.[100]

Mid-premiership

In April Dominic Raab, Sunak's deputy, resigned after the conclusion of a report confirming two of eight allegations of bullying and intimidating behaviour whilst foreign and justice secretary. In his resignation letter he complained of the "dangerous precedent" set as the inquiry could "encourage spurious complaints" towards ministers and noted that the majority of alleged incidents had been dismissed.[101] Sunak appointed Oliver Dowden as deputy prime minister and Alex Chalk as justice secretary.[102] The local elections took place in early May, with the Conservatives suffering heavy losses: in total, 1,063 councillors and control of 48 councils.[103] Three by-elections were held on the same day—20 July—in Selby and Ainsty, Somerton and Frome and Uxbridge and South Ruislip, the last of which had been Johnson's seat which he had resigned during the privileges committee's investigation into him; the Labour Party, the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives each won one.[104]

A close-up photograph of Suella Braverman, smiling, with long black hair and a white suit in front of a grey background
A close-up photograph of David Cameron, with slightly greying dark hair and a dark blue suit, light blue tie and chequered shirt in front of a grey background.
Braverman (top) and Cameron

In late August and early September around 174 schools that had been built with

Lord Carrington resigned in 1982 and the first former prime minister to serve under a successor since Alec Douglas-Home joined the Heath ministry in 1970.[110]

Upon becoming prime minister Sunak had inherited high levels of immigration and ongoing issues with the

Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill—designed to save the scheme—"d[id] not go far enough".[112] The Times stated that Sunak could face a "right-wing revolt" following Jenrick's departure,[113] and The Daily Telegraph said that his resignation had sparked a "Tory crisis"; The Guardian wrote that Sunak faced a "severe test of his leadership" when MPs would vote on the bill at its second reading, scheduled for 12 December. Contrary to this, however, the bill passed with a majority of 44, although several Conservatives abstained from the vote in rebellion, and the press described it as a Pyrrhic victory
.

Later premiership and election

Keir Starmer, leader of the Labour Party from 2020 onwards[114]

In response to the war between Israel and Hamas the Yemeni

Gaza strip and Lee Anderson, MP for Ashfield, being suspended from the Conservatives after saying that the London mayor Sadiq Khan was controlled by "Islamist" protesters.[116] Upon the election of the pro-Palestine controversialist George Galloway in the Rochdale by-election—advertising himself as a protest candidate against Labour's stance on Gaza, appealing to the constituency's sizeable Muslim population—Sunak gave a lectern speech outside Number 10, speaking out against extremism and religious hatred: "We are a country where we love our neighbours ... You cannot be part of our civic life if your agenda is to tear it down".[117]

The

sick note culture" in British workers were among the policies announced by Sunak in the first half of the year.[119] The Safety of Rwanda Bill passed the House of Lords and received royal assent in April. The Conservative Party again went down to heavy defeat in that year's local elections, losing 474 councillors, 10 councils and finishing behind the Liberal Democrats, its lowest level of representation since 1998
.

Throughout 2023 and 2024 the date of the coming general election was widely speculated upon, with the term of the 2019 parliament due to expire in January 2025. In early 2024 Sunak stated his "working assumption" that an election would be held in the second half of the year. On 22 May Sunak confirmed the date as 4 July; Parliament was dissolved eight days later. The Conservative campaign focused on X, while the Labour Party emphasised Y. [...]

Post-premiership (2024–present)

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Reputation and legacy

Sunak, facing away from the camera, framed by the door of 11 Downing Street.
Sunak as chancellor. During his tenure he recorded record satisfaction and personal approval ratings.[120]

At various points in his political career Sunak was amongst the most popular and unpopular politicians in British history. As chancellor the support given by the furlough scheme gave him the highest satisfaction ratings of any since Denis Healey and was described by an analyst as having "better ratings than any politician since the heydays of Tony Blair".[121] His media presence—"Brand Rishi"—focused on what the journalist Brian Wheeler calls "fancy graphics and clever taglines" and was devised by Sunak's communications strategist Cass Horowitz.[122] In the words of Jeff Wallenfeldt, Sunak's biographer for the Encyclopædia Britannica "the portrait of Sunak that arose during the pandemic was that of a superslick, social-media savvy, immaculately dressed, handsome, but down-to-earth politician".[123] However, public perception towards Sunak had cooled markedly by March–April 2022, a period which included his unpopular spring statement, the economy's poor performance, his fixed penalty notice and the reports on Murty's tax status and his recent holding of a US green card.[124] As PM...

Sunak was the first minority ethnic British prime minister but, in the words of the Telegraph journalist Nick Timothy, "the remarkable thing about the election of Britain’s first non-white prime minister is how unremarkable, for most people, it has been". Sunak concurred in his 2023 conference speech: "I am proud to be the first British Asian prime minister, but you know what? I'm even prouder that it's just not a big deal".[125]

As prime minister Sunak, according to Seldon, was "overly involved in detail", a trait inherited from his time at the Treasury: he contrasts this with the "chair of the board approach" preferred by Cameron, Blair and John Major.[126] As chancellor he was reportedly described by staff as "the head boy"[127] but was well-liked by aides, with a mutual sense of loyalty existing between Sunak and his advisers—continuing into his premiership.[128] He maintained considerable influence over the Treasury whilst in Number 10 and exerted particular control over the budget.[129] The former BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg said in a 2024 article that "the details man, apparently shorn of the ego of so many at Westminster, made politics a little more normal again".[130]

His early Tory leadership felt akin to an agile swimmer being forced to don an old-fashioned diving suit for a race. However nimble the movements, however wise the course plotted, he was weighed down by the outfit he had been forced to wear. There were the anchors of the economy: stubborn inflation, soaring interest rates and stuttering growth. For a party whose economic credibility was at the centre of its electability, the numbers were debilitating.

Ben Riley-Smith on Sunak's premiership[131]

Sunak was credited for providing stability for the country, its economy and his party following the tenures of Johnson and Truss, both of whom Seldon characterise as "ignoble failures".[132] His premiership occurred at the end of a 14-year period of Conservative government, a party which had, by the time of Johnson, become divided, worn-out and unpopular;[133] Sunak was disliked by MPs supportive of his two predecessors' policies[134] and faced rebellion on the backbenches, notably in February 2023 when 22 Conservatives, including Johnson and Truss, voted again the Windsor Framework.[135] The 80-seat Conservative majority won in 2019 was gradually eroded throughout the course of the parliament in lost by-elections, party defections and whip suspensions, ending in 2024 with an overall majority of 38.[136] Sunak faced difficulty in achieving his five main pledges: by the end of his premiership he had achieved just one, the halving of inflation.[137] By the summer of 2023 he had considered his legacy, resulting in the package of policies announced at the October conference.[130] As a result of the early dissolution of Parliament the smoking ban was not achieved; likewise, the future of the Advanced British Standard—which would take "over a decade to implement"—remains uncertain.[138]

Political positions

Sajid Javid, Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak wearing disposable surgical masks in a bright hospital room. Javid is clasping his hands; Johnson is pointing with both; Sunak has them to his sides.
Sajid Javid (left) pictured with Sunak: the pair resigned within minutes of each other in July 2022, contributing to the collapse of the government of Boris Johnson (centre).[139]

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Notes and references

Notes

  1. European commissioners.[12]
  2. Thatcherite think tank Centre for Policy Studies that they could create up to 86,000 jobs in Britain and "act as a beacon of British values, signalling the country's openness to the world" following Brexit.[23]
  3. ^ The governing body of backbench Conservative members of Parliament.[62]
  4. ^ Elizabeth II had died on 8 September, two days after asking Truss to form a government, and was immediately succeeded by her eldest son.[73]
  5. ^ Sunak was also the first non-white prime minister.[75]
  6. ^ Sunak was alleged by Jonathan Slater, a former permanent secretary to Education, to have as chancellor reduced the number of schools to be rebuilt per year to 50, half of the 100 which had already been provided for by the Treasury; 200 had been requested by Education, reduced from 300–400 originally. He rejected this, saying that he had kickstarted a plan for 500 schools to be rebuilt over 10 years.[106]

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  4. ^ Bonnet 2024, p. 16.
  5. ^ Ellery & Ball 2022; Capurro 2022; Edwardes 2020; Bannerman & Southern 2022.
  6. ^ Edwardes 2020; Capurro 2022.
  7. ^ Peck 2020; Capurro 2022; Asthana 2024; Bannerman & Southern 2022; Edwardes 2020.
  8. ^ Bannerman & Southern 2022; Rentoul 2022; Peck 2020; Ellery & Ball 2022.
  9. ^ Capurro 2022; Peck 2020; Gutteridge 2024.
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  13. ^ Chorley 2023, pp. 94 and 97.
  14. ^ Chorley 2023, pp. 96–97.
  15. ^ a b "Parliamentary business: 11 Jun 2015". parliament.uk, columns 1417–1418.
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Sources

Books and journals

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External links

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