Richi Sunak

[Khandro]

Tory MPs have just, without any mandate from the British electorate, voted in as representative of their party & the country, the first non-white leader of any European country in its history, that is to say back & before pre-Roman times. A man who is richer than any other European politician, a Hindu of a Christian country, who has recently applied for a green card to work in the US, & whose fabulously wealthy wife has had to be shamed into paying UK taxes, and who has i.m.o. the charisma of my front door mat (which, memo. badly needs replacing) & would have less chance of connecting with the working class people beyond the 'red Wall' than a covid- bearing Chinaman.

Has the Tory party gone collectively mad?

[goodgoalie]

This country doesn't need someone with charisma. It needs an intelligent, honest, hard-working person who will steady the ship and not do anything as damaging as Truss managed in her short tenure.

To continue the analogy, I'd rather have Sunak at the helm than anyone else from the Conservatives (and certainly nobody from Labour) and I hope the media will leave him alone to get on with the job. I couldn't care less how much money he or his wife has.

[bobbinwales]

No but you have

[david small]

Give the guy a chance. He was born here, and loves this country. His wife and their wealth are matters that shouldn’t affect his aptitude for his new position.

[Ken4155]

"The first non-white leader."

You've spent far too much time in Germany, Khandro. IMHO, i hasten to add.

[jno]

there were a few Roman emperors who might reasonably have been called well tanned; and Moors from north Africa ruled Spain and Portugal for centuries.

[gness]

As GG. My heart didn’t sink when I heard who was to become PM. It has in the past.

My gut feeling….and I trust them….is that he may repair some of the damage the last two have done and take the UK to a more united and calmer place. Well I hope so.

[Mozz71]

Which part of your discription of Sunak worries you most? His ethnicity, his religion, his wealth or his lack of personality?

I wouldn't be surprised if we find out over the next few months that he is more competent a leader than the last few who have attempted the role.

[Hopkirk]

As with every position, whether it be prime minister or footballer, you need the best person for the job.

I have seen nothing so far to suggest he isn't.

[vulcan42]

The solution doesn't lie with Richi Sunak, it lies with the rest of the MP's. If they don't unite behind him he will be no more effective than Liz Truss.

[vulcan42]

Rishi, Sorry.

[gness]

They have to unite behind him surely, Vulcan? If they don’t they won’t have a functioning party for god knows how long.

[THECORBYLOON]

"the first non-white leader of any European country in its history"

What about Leo Varadkar, the current Tánaiste and the previous Taoiseach?

[gness]

Oh we rarely count, Corby. ;-)

[THECORBYLOON]

It doesn't appear to fit KHANDRO's agenda.

[gness]

Indeed, Corby. Hope we don’t have any Chinese members too.

[Untitled]

he's just as much a hardcore Thatcherite as Truss... he's by no means a moderate... he's just more intelligent and to an extent more pragmatic than her. Truss was a thatcherite who didn't understand Thatcherism... Sunak does understand it.

He's going to end up launching an onslaught on the uk's enfeebled public services and thousands more will die.... the country cannot take much more austerity and so I do not think they are out of the woods... not by a long shot

[emmie]

give the guy a chance - he has only just landed the top job.

[Untitled]

also i know this will disappoint you khandro but i couldn't care less about him being hindu or indian... he doesn't strike me as particularly un-british - he has spent most of his life here and understands the country about as well as any of us do

[emmie]

he was born in Southampton - makes him a Brit