Opinion: What Britain’s first Asian prime minister meant to my family | CNN (2024)

Opinion: What Britain’s first Asian prime minister meant to my family | CNN (1)

Then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, together with his wife Akshata Murty and their children Anoushka and Krishna, light candles outside of 10 Downing Street, during the Hindu festival of Diwali, in November last year.

Editor’s Note: Sunder Katwalais the director ofBritish Future, an independent think tank researching public attitudes to integration, immigration, identity and race. He is the author of“How to Be a Patriot: Why love of country can end our very British culture war.”The views expressed in this commentary are his own. Read moreCNN Opinion.

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The crushing defeat of the ConservativePartyin the UK electionends Rishi Sunak’s two-year premiership.He has a place in history books as the first British Asian prime minister — but now also as the prime minister to suffer one of the heaviest election defeats inBritain’s modern political history.

Sunak was dealt an almost impossible hand on becoming prime minister two years ago— the latest in a head-spinning carousel of Conservatives to take the top job. He was the UK’sthird prime minister in the space of two months. Already,Boris Johnsonhadsquandered a dominant political position with rule-breakingpartiesin Downing Street during the pandemic beforeLiz Truss’spremiership imploded within weeks as her bold tax-cutting budget fell apart.

When Sunak became prime minister, my father told me how important a symbolic moment it felt to him, having come to Britain from India as a young doctor in 1968. Now 80, Dad felt torn by a dilemma of how to cast his own vote.

When the general election was calledsix weeks ago, Dad told me he would probably vote for Sunak, despite his doubts about an unruly and divided Conservative Party. He saw Sunak as a decent man, trying to do his best in difficult times. It almost sounded like a plan to cast a sympathy vote for Sunak, just in case nobody else did.

But as the election campaign wore on, he became less sure.“I would like to see him carry on as prime minister — but the country also needs a change of government,”Dadsaid.“His being Indian and Hindu are probably not the right reasons to vote for him … but he did well during the terrifying times of Covid,”he added of Sunak’s stint as Chancellor of the Exchequer before becoming prime minister.

He planned to finally decide inside the polling booth.

Meanwhilemy 18-year-old daughter, deciding how to cast her first ever vote, could not conceive of Sunak’s identity influencing her choice. Her priority issueswereclimate change and rising homelessness. Her friends — including those of Asian heritage — associate Sunak more with hiswealth and educational privilegethan his ethnic heritage or his faith.

After 14 years of Conservatives in power, the country’syoungest adultshavenever known another government.A little younger than10 years old when Britain voted for Brexit, they have grown up knowing that had been a big argument, while often feeling that nobody had really tried to explain what the point of it had been.

Opinion: What Britain’s first Asian prime minister meant to my family | CNN (3)

The UK has had a swift turnaround of Conservative prime ministers in recent years, including, from left to right: Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak, Boris Johnson and Theresa May, all pictured at the National Service of Remembrance in London, in November last year.

Youth – and political inexperience

At 44 years old,Sunak leaves office as the youngest ex-prime minister for well over a century. He became prime minister just seven years after becoming an MP — shorter than any other recent occupant of Downing Street. Sunak’s political inexperience was reflected in some of the mistakes made in a bruising election campaign.

He apologised profusely for his decision toleave the recent D-Day commemorationsin Francepartway through.A few of the criticisms ofhisapparentlack of respect for British traditions had a suspicious, prejudiced undertone:that Sunak did not understand how much it meant.

Sunak, as an individual, often seems less impressed with the ceremonial aspects of his role. But traditions of Remembrance do matter to British Asians too. Indeed, the armies that fought the world wars resemble today’s Britain of 2024 more than that of 1944.They were drawn from across the Commonwealth — including amassive contribution from India— that is finally being increasingly recognized.

What really sunk Sunak

As the election campaign entered its final week,Sunakspoke out powerfullyagainstracist comments by a campaigner for theright-wing populistReformUKparty,which had beencaptured on film.He saidthat his daughters should never have to hear such language about him.

Yetwhile Sunak’selection defeat was political and personal, it had little to do with his faith or ethnic heritage. Sunak was unable to revive his party after 14 years in power —and negativeperceptions of his wealth did seem to make it harder for him to forge a connection with voters in such tough economic times.

Ultimately, this crushing defeat has much more to do with the Conservative blue color of his party than the color of his skin.

Rationally, the evidence is that Sunak’s ethnicity must be marginal in public perceptions of him, given just how much his reputation has surged and fallen over a short time. Sunak had beenone ofthemost popularBritish politiciansfor decades when he first came to public attention as Chancellor of the Exchequer during the Covid pandemic.

He was seenmoreas a technocrat than a party politician, and hisfurlough scheme— where the taxpayer subsidized the wages of those who could not work virtuallyduring lockdown— was enormously popular.Sunak’s popularity was dented once thepandemic was over. Having taken on debt, he had to raise taxes. His family wealth andwife’stax arrangementsbecame more controversial, too.

Again, on becoming prime minister, Sunak personally had amuch better public reputationthan his Conservative Party. But after two years in office, their reputations had converged — downwards. The political and economic context changed. Sunak’s ethnicity did not.

Opinion: What Britain’s first Asian prime minister meant to my family | CNN (4)

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'I am sorry:' Rishi Sunak on election loss

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Diversity at the top

Sunak as a Hindu was the first ever British prime minister to practice a non-Christian faith. This was discussed much more in India than in Britain, reflecting a secular political culture and some awkward uncertainty too about how to talk about faith here. Sunak celebrates his faith openly — lighting Diwali lamps on the Downing Street steps.He emphasized too that he welcomed the cultural norm of seeing diversity at the top asno big deal.

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      The UK has had ethnic minority leaders in Downing Street and in devolved governments inScotlandandWales— though each chosen by their party, rather than the public. If diversity becomes a new norm in British politics, minority leadership will ebb and flow depending on how leaders grapple with the dilemmas of leadership.

      The electoral reckoning for Sunak could barely have been more brutal — yet British voters will feel that both the man and his party were given a fair shot.

      Opinion: What Britain’s first Asian prime minister meant to my family | CNN (2024)

      FAQs

      Who is viewed as Great Britain's first Prime Minister? ›

      Today often viewed as the first British Prime Minister, Sir Robert Walpole was described by contemporary opponents as the 'Screen-Master General', adept at pulling all the political strings.

      Who was the first Prime Minister of Great Britain? ›

      The office of prime minister developed in Britain in the 18th century, when King George I ceased attending meetings of his ministers and it was left to powerful premiers to act as government chief executive. Sir Robert Walpole is generally considered to have been Britain's first prime minister.

      Is Rishi Sunak the first Asian British Prime Minister? ›

      As the leader of the majority party in the House of Commons, Sunak was appointed as prime minister by Charles III on 25 October 2022, becoming the first British Asian to take the office. At 42, Sunak became the youngest prime minister since Robert Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool, in 1812.

      Which UK Prime Minister died in office? ›

      William Pitt the Younger was the youngest to die in office at the age of 46 in 1806. Spencer Perceval was the only one to be assassinated, and he was killed in 1812. George Canning died in 1827, and Lord Palmerston died in 1865.

      Who is the most loved British Prime Minister? ›

      Winston Churchill is generally considered one of the greatest prime ministers for his leadership during the Second World War.

      Who led Great Britain as Prime Minister during most of World War? ›

      Winston Churchill was an inspirational statesman, writer, orator and leader who led Britain to victory in the Second World War. He served as Conservative Prime Minister twice - from 1940 to 1945 (before being defeated in the 1945 general election by the Labour leader Clement Attlee) and from 1951 to 1955.

      Who was the first commoner prime minister? ›

      William Pitt 'The Elder', 1st Earl of Chatham – Known as the 'Great Commoner', Pitt is credited with creating the British Empire. Although only Prime Minister for 2 years, he dominated British politics in the mid-18th century.

      Who was the first female prime minister of Great Britain? ›

      Baroness Margaret Thatcher, the 'Iron Lady', was the first female British Prime Minister and the longest serving PM for over 150 years.

      Who was the first Asian member of British Parliament? ›

      Naoroji moved to Britain once again and continued his political involvement. Elected for the Liberal Party in Finsbury Central at the 1892 general election, he was the first British Indian MP.

      Does Rishi have a wife? ›

      Who was the youngest prime minister of the UK? ›

      William Pitt (28 May 1759 – 23 January 1806) was a British statesman, the youngest and last prime minister of Great Britain from 1783 until the Acts of Union 1800, and then first prime minister of the United Kingdom from January 1801.

      Who was the only British prime minister to be assassinated? ›

      Biography. Spencer Perceval enjoys the unfortunate distinction of being the only British Prime Minister to die at the hands of an assassin. His political career coincided with a period of upheaval created by the French Revolution.

      Who was the shortest serving British prime minister? ›

      Shortest term

      Excluding incumbent Keir Starmer, Liz Truss holds the record for the shortest unequivocal term of office, at 49 days. She was appointed by Elizabeth II at Balmoral Castle on 6 September 2022, and officially resigned as prime minister to Charles III at Buckingham Palace on 25 October 2022.

      Why did Churchill get removed from office? ›

      In the General Election of 1951, Labour was defeated. Churchill became Prime Minister for a second time. He continued to lead Britain but was to suffer increasingly from health problems. Aware that he was slowing down both physically and mentally, he resigned in April 1955.

      Was Robert Walpole a good Prime Minister? ›

      He established stable political supremacy for the Whig party and taught succeeding ministers how best to establish an effective working relationship between Crown and Parliament". Some scholars rank him highly among British prime ministers.

      Was Anthony Eden a good Prime Minister? ›

      Eden is generally considered to be among the least successful of British prime ministers in the 20th century, although two broadly sympathetic biographies have gone some way to shifting the balance of opinion.

      Why did Tony Blair resign as Prime Minister? ›

      As a combined result of the Blair–Brown pact, the Iraq War and low approval ratings, pressure built up within the Labour Party for Blair to resign. Over the summer of 2006, many MPs criticised Blair for not calling for a ceasefire in the Israel–Lebanon conflict.

      Why was Margaret Thatcher known as the Iron Lady? ›

      As prime minister, she implemented economic policies known as Thatcherism. A Soviet journalist dubbed her the "Iron Lady", a nickname that became associated with her uncompromising politics and leadership style.

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