Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Rishi Sunak faces image and tax challenges in UK PM run-off

Sunak has dismissed as “fairy tales” the promises of immediate tax cuts by rivals in the Conservative leadership race.

Rishi Sunak faces image and tax challenges in UK PM run-off

Rishi Sunak will claim credit for steering Britain's economy through the COVID-19 crash but must overcome accusations that he is too rich and too willing to raise taxes to win the race to be the next prime minister.

After coming first in successive rounds of voting by Conservative Party lawmakers, Sunak will face off against Liz Truss, Britain's foreign minister, for the votes of grassroots party members, with an announcement of the winner due on Sept. 5.

Most Conservatives warm to his long-standing pro-Brexit views but some also suspect he deliberately set off the chain of events that led to Boris Johnson's demise as prime minister by quitting as finance minister in early July.

Others in the party balk at his record in raising Britain's tax burden to its highest in decades, just as Britain -- like other economies -- was heading into a severe cost-of-living squeeze with inflation starting to accelerate.

On top of that, some Conservative lawmakers fear that his wealthy background could prove an easy target for the centre-left Labour Party in an election expected in 2024.

Two party lawmakers said there was a concerted push for "anyone but Rishi" amid fears in that a politician willing to be photographed clutching a 180-pound ($216) coffee mug would struggle to appeal to many voters.

Patrick English, an associate director with polling firm YouGov, said Sunak's image of aloofness was contributing to his low levels of popularity among voters - polls currently suggest he will lose the run-off - but his experience in running the economy could help him turn things around quickly.

"No one is going to the public with a plan. No one is saying how they are going to fix things," English said. "So if he can do that, his image problem will not matter one bit."

The son of an Indian doctor and pharmacist who were born in east Africa and migrated to Britain in the 1960s, Sunak swapped a lucrative career in finance - which included spells at Goldman Sachs and hedge fund TCI - for parliament as recently as 2015.

In 2020, then aged 39, Sunak looked like Johnson's most likely successor as he raced to protect the economy from the impact of the coronavirus shutdown only a few weeks after he became chancellor of the exchequer.

He jettisoned the Conservatives' small-state instincts to borrow massively and stave off an economic depression.

In one photograph that epitomised the sense of emergency unity behind his rescue plans, Sunak posed outside his Downing Street office flanked by the heads of Britain's biggest trade union group and a leading employers' group.

PANDEMIC PLAUDITS FADED

That unity quickly vanished as the world's fifth-biggest economy emerged from the crisis saddled with an extra 400 billion pounds ($480 billion) of debt and then fell into a cost-of-living crisis that led to more demands on the public purse.

Sunak insisted his priority was to fix the public finances, and he offered almost no extra support for the hardest-hit households in a budget update in March this year, only to bow to the growing pressure and rush out extra measures in May.

By then, Sunak's popularity was at rock bottom after he was fined for breaking COVID lockdown rules and confirmed that he held a U.S. Green Card while serving in the British government, raising questions about whether he saw his long-term future in Britain.

Sunak's personalised branding on his social media posts during the pandemic, showing the support the government was providing to millions of people, also grated for many lawmakers.

Most damagingly of all, his wife - the daughter of a mega-wealthy Indian entrepreneur - was revealed to have non-domiciled tax status in Britain, at a time when Sunak was raising taxes.

But he is arguing that only he has the experience to get Britain through a looming economic downturn, or possibly a recession.

Sunak has dismissed as "fairy tales" the promises of immediate tax cuts by rivals in the Conservative leadership race but says they will be possible once Britain has controlled inflation, which looks set for double digits soon.

Craig Watkins, chief executive of Kantar Public UK, said his company's opinion polling suggested that Conservative voters were not demanding income tax cuts but did want more targeted measures such as cuts to value added tax on energy bills and to fuel duty.

"It's about reducing tax from those things that have gone up a lot," Watkins said. "Reductions in income tax are not the priority compared to those two."

(Reuters)

More For You

Modi & Trump

Donald Trump and Narendra Modi shake hands as they attend a joint press conference at the White House on February 13, 2025.

Reuters

Trump greets Modi on 75th birthday, trade talks continue in Delhi

Highlights:

  • Both leaders reaffirm commitment to India-US partnership
  • Trade talks resume in New Delhi amid tariff tensions
  • India defends purchase of discounted Russian oil

US PRESIDENT Donald Trump on Tuesday called Indian prime minister Narendra Modi and greeted him ahead of his 75th birthday. The phone call sparked hopes of a reset in India-US ties, which had been under strain after Washington doubled tariffs on Indian goods to 50 per cent.

Keep ReadingShow less
uk weather

Forecasters say 30–40mm of rain is likely to fall widely

iStock

Met Office issues yellow weather warnings as heavy rain threatens flooding in 15 UK areas

Highlights:

  • Two yellow weather warnings issued for parts of Wales and the Midlands
  • Up to 70mm of rain expected, bringing risk of flooding, power cuts and travel delays
  • Flood alerts in place for rivers in Cumbria, Devon, Cornwall and Carmarthenshire
  • Residents advised to prepare emergency kits and stay updated with forecasts

Heavy rainfall set to cause disruption

The Met Office has issued two yellow weather warnings covering parts of Wales and the Midlands today, with forecasters warning of potential flooding, travel disruption and power cuts. Between 6am and 11am, persistent downpours are expected to sweep eastwards, bringing nearly a month’s worth of rain in just a few hours.

Areas under warning

South and southwest Wales are expected to be worst affected, with Ceredigion, Conwy, Gwynedd and Powys in the Midlands also on alert. In Wales, warnings apply to Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Cardiff, Carmarthenshire, Merthyr Tydfil, Neath Port Talbot, Powys, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Swansea and the Vale of Glamorgan.

Keep ReadingShow less
​Donald Trump and Melania Trump

Donald Trump and Melania Trump exit Air Force One after arriving at London Stansted Airport for a state visit on September 16, 2025 in Stansted, Essex.

Getty Images

UK rolls out royal welcome as Trump begins second state visit

Highlights:

  • Trump begins his second state visit to the UK with a royal welcome at Windsor Castle
  • Prince William, Catherine, King Charles and Queen Camilla take part in ceremony
  • State banquet and trade talks with prime minister Keir Starmer scheduled
  • Protests and security operation mark visit amid political challenges

US PRESIDENT Donald Trump began his unprecedented second state visit to Britain on Wednesday with a lavish welcome from King Charles and the royal family at Windsor Castle.

Keep ReadingShow less
11th UK Gatka Championship

All winners received medals and trophies

UK Parliament

11th UK Gatka Championship ends with Welsh debut and £1,000 support for Gatka Akharas

Highlights:

  • The 11th UK National Gatka Championship was hosted near Cardiff, marking the first time in Wales.
  • Winners included Roop Kaur (girls), Navjot Singh (boys), and Gurdeep Singh (men’s).
  • Gatka Federation UK awarded £1,000 to each participating Akhara to support martial arts promotion.
  • Chief guests included MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi and Harjeet Singh Grewal, President of the World Gatka Federation.

Gatka Championship marks Welsh debut

The 11th UK National Gatka Championship concluded on a high note near Cardiff, Wales, showcasing the traditional Sikh martial art with flair. Seven leading Gatka Akharas participated, thrilling spectators with their lightning-fast strikes, precision moves and elegant techniques.

Inauguration by global leaders

The tournament was inaugurated by Harjeet Singh Grewal, President of the World Gatka Federation (WGF) and the National Gatka Association of India (NGAI). He was joined by Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi MP, President of Gatka Federation UK, alongside other dignitaries including Jagbir Singh Jagga Chakar, President of Wales Kabaddi Club, and community leaders from the Haveli Hotel Pontyclun.

Keep ReadingShow less
Vantara

The site, located in Gujarat, houses hundreds of elephants, as well as 50 bears, 160 tigers, 200 lions, 250 leopards, and 900 crocodiles. (Photo: Instagram/Vantara)

India court probe clears Ambani family’s animal centre

AN INDIAN Supreme Court-ordered investigation has cleared a large private animal facility run by the son of Asia’s richest man, rejecting allegations of wildlife violations.

Vantara, described as the “world’s biggest wild animal rescue centre,” is operated by Anant Ambani, son of Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani.

Keep ReadingShow less