Rishi Sunak is reportedly set to become the next United Kingdom (UK) Prime Minister following his rival, Boris Johnson’s withdrawal from the race.
Following one of the most volatile periods in British political history, Johnson acknowledged that he was unable to maintain their party’s unity.
Sunak, a 42-year-old former finance minister, may be sworn in as the third prime minister of Britain in less than two months. He will be entrusted with bringing stability to a nation that has been plagued by years of political and economic unrest.
The wealthy former hedge fund boss will probably implement significant spending cutbacks in an effort to restore Britain’s fiscal credibility as the nation is about to enter a recession due to the rising price of food and energy.
“The United Kingdom is a great country but we face a profound economic crisis,” Sunak said in a brief statement, while declaring his candidacy to lead the Conservative Party, and thereby become the next British prime minister.
Since voting to leave the European Union (EU) in 2016, a move which sparked a heated dispute in Westminster over the future of the nation that is still unresolved to this day, Britain has been caught in a perpetual state of crisis.
The most recent event has caused shock in foreign capitals and derision in the international press.
Following a string of scandals, Boris Johnson, the public face of the Brexit campaign, was ousted from office less than three years after leading his party to a resounding victory in 2019.
His successor Liz Truss only in office for 44 days before resigning over an economic policy that destroyed the nation’s economic credibility.
Despite being just hours away from becoming prime Minister, Sunak has not yet stated his ideas for leading the nation. He will take over a party that is split along ideological lines, and some MPs continue to hold him responsible for Johnson’s downfall.
Some ministers and parliamentarians who had supported the former prime minister’s return to Downing Street but subsequently had to reverse course and support Sunak felt humiliated as a result of his departure late on Sunday, according to NAN.
