The Discreet but Ambitious Rishi Sunak 'Has What It Takes' to Succeed at 10 Downing Street

Rishi Sunak became the youngest prime minister in British history at age 42, inheriting a country in deep economic trouble. He is the perfect representative of the British Indian elite, but he also carries an explosive burden as the UK enters a recession. His supporters, however, insist that the discreet yet ambitious leader has everything needed to succeed at 10 Downing Street.

Key Facts at a Glance

• Became UK Prime Minister on 25 October 2022, following the resignation of Liz Truss.
• First British-Asian PM and youngest in modern history.
• Previous roles: Chancellor of the Exchequer (2020-2022), Chief Secretary to the Treasury (2019-2020).
• Born in Southampton to Indian parents; father was a GP from Kenya, mother a pharmacist from Tanzania.
• Educated at Oxford and Stanford (MBA); worked at Goldman Sachs and co-founded hedge fund Theleme Partners.
• Married Akshata Murthy, daughter of Infosys founder Narayana Murthy; family fortune estimated at £835 million.
• A lifelong Brexiter and supporter of Global Britain.
• Known for his cautious, pragmatic style but criticised for lacking a popular mandate.

A Quiet Rise Through Elite Circles

Those who knew Rishi Sunak at Stanford or during his time at Goldman Sachs describe a man who embodied Shakespeare's adage: "The better part of valour is discretion." Although Sunak has said that his time at the prestigious American university changed his life and taught him to "think bigger," he left little trace in the memories of his professors. Nobel-winning economist Paul Romer, whom Sunak once cited as one of his most "inspiring" instructors at Stanford, openly admitted, "I have no memory of ever interacting with him."

His former colleagues at Goldman Sachs tell a similar story. One investment banker who worked with Sunak in the London office in the early 2000s remembers "someone very chic, with his smile and white teeth, but who was very discreet and did not easily bond."

Born in Southampton to Indian parents, Sunak enjoyed an exemplary education that led him to Oxford, the breeding ground for Britain's elite. More interested in finance than politics, the eldest of three siblings dabbled in stock market plays and spent his spare time at Oxford's investment club. After Oxford, he joined Goldman Sachs before moving to California, where he earned an MBA at Stanford and co-founded the hedge fund Theleme Partners with Frenchman Patrick Degorce.

Marriage and Fortune

Four years after marrying Akshata Murthy, the daughter of Indian billionaire Narayana Murthy, founder of IT giant Infosys, Sunak was chosen to oversee his father-in-law's wealth. With a personal fortune of £835 million, according to the Sunday Times, double that of King Charles III, the prime minister does not behave like a flamboyant spender. Exterior signs of wealth include £4,000 Henry Herbert suits, Prada loafers, and a Georgian manor with a private island bought for £1.7 million in Yorkshire.

Political Beginnings and Brexit

It was in that same region, hit by deindustrialisation, that the former finance star became an MP in 2015 for the Conservative seat of Richmond. A practising Hindu, Sunak was proud of his origins and earned the nickname "Maharaja of the Yorkshire Dales." After being re-elected in 2017, he took his oath on the Bhagavad-Gita, one of the most famous texts of Hindu literature, a first in British history.

His political ascent was meteoric. He joined Theresa May's second government in 2017 as Under-Secretary of State for Housing, then became Chief Secretary to the Treasury under Boris Johnson in 2019. His excellent relationship with "BoJo" propelled him to Chancellor of the Exchequer a year later after Sajid Javid resigned.

Sunak was a Brexiter from the start. In his view, "Brexit is a choice that comes once in a generation." He often argued that Britain needed flexibility and dexterity to adapt, pointing to Silicon Valley and India as examples of rapid change.

Pragmatism During Covid

As finance minister, Sunak was pragmatic. He supported the Treasury's "whatever it costs" response to the Covid-19 pandemic, including expensive business loan programmes. Jill Rutter, a former senior official and researcher at the Institute for Government, notes, "He is pragmatic, but it would be wrong to say he has no ideology. He seems to have been very influenced by his time in California and advocates an innovative economy."

His pragmatism also showed in his handling of the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill, a controversial piece of legislation that Brussels saw as a violation of the UK's international commitments. As Chancellor, Sunak reportedly had reservations and sought to avoid worsening trade relations with the EU. Whether he now has the authority to confront the hardliners in his party remains an open question.

From Loser to Leader

In early September 2022, Sunak lost the Conservative Party leadership election to the right-wing Liz Truss. Yet within six weeks, after Truss's chaotic mini-budget sent markets into turmoil, Sunak returned through the back door. He was elected party leader unopposed on 24 October and became prime minister the next day.

The new PM inherited a country hit by runaway inflation, repeated strikes, and overwhelmed hospitals. In his first major speech on 4 January, he came out of his shell to reassure Britons. "We can reverse the slow acceptance of decline, reject pessimism and fatalism, refuse the limits of our aspirations," he declared. Alastair Campbell, Tony Blair's former spin doctor, observed: "His mission is extremely arduous. But Sunak has at least one asset: he is more rational than Boris Johnson or Liz Truss were."

Opportunism and Political Fraction

Sunak has shown a more opportunistic side when forming his cabinet. He reinstated Suella Braverman as Home Secretary shortly after she was sacked for sending official documents from a personal email address. Braverman, an Indian-origin former barrister from the radical wing of the Tories, had endorsed Sunak in October, reassuring the party's right wing. "This appointment is purely political," says Peter Ricketts, a former ambassador to France and member of the House of Lords. "After choosing Truss this summer, Braverman gave her support to Sunak in October, which reassured the right of the party. The prime minister owes her."

This dependency weakens Sunak further, as does the continued presence of Jeremy Hunt at the Treasury. Hunt, appointed under Truss, had become the darling of financial markets, and it was Hunt, not Sunak, who successfully presented the crucial autumn budget on 17 November. "The prime minister looks quite weak," adds François-Joseph Schichan, a former chief political adviser at the French embassy in London. "He has no popular mandate, and Hunt dominates him. It is not at all certain that Rishi Sunak will still be in Downing Street by the 2024 general election."

Foreign Policy: Rapprochement with Paris and Hard Line on China

Unlike his predecessor, who avoided answering whether Emmanuel Macron was an "ally" or "enemy," Sunak has worked to renew ties with Paris. This rapprochement was symbolised by an agreement to limit illegal crossings of the English Channel. To his party's hardline wing, he also took a tough stance on China. In late November, after the arrest of a BBC journalist in Shanghai, he declared that with China, "the famous golden age" in UK-China relations was over.

His first major foreign policy speech surprised a former French ambassador to London. "He surprised me," the diplomat says. "I expected something conventional, but it was clear and sharp, as if he knew exactly where he wanted to go."

A Determined Leader with Uncertain Prospects

Sunak is known for his love of video games, Star Wars, Southampton FC, and cricket. He dislikes intolerance, lack of initiative, career plans, and the tabloid press. His allies describe a man capable of winning hearts and doing the job. William Hague, a respected Conservative figure and former foreign secretary, insists: "Rishi Sunak has what it takes to succeed at No. 10. His reputation shows he is an effective leader."

Yet the opposition leader Keir Starmer has noted that even Sunak's own side knows he is not on the side of workers. "That is why he was beaten by Liz Truss in the only election he faced," Starmer said.

As Sunak navigates a fragile political landscape, moderating within his party and facing a deep economic crisis, his fate remains uncertain. The next general election is due in 2024, and he knows he must walk a tightrope. While his future is unknown, his ambition and intelligence are widely acknowledged. As an old friend from his finance days put it, Sunak has "a quick brain" and a quiet determination that may prove more formidable than it appears.

Source:Challenges News