Rishi Sunak — the English Brahman

After nearly 75 years, something unthinkable has happened. Rishi Sunak, a man of colour, whose ancestry were British subjects in undivided India, is the British Prime Minister. His paternal grandfather was from Gujranwala (Pakistan). His Indian parents were born and raised in Kenya and Tanzania, then British East Africa, from where they migrated to Britain in 1960s.

At 42, the Southampton native is the youngest PM ever. With degrees in philosophy, politics and economics from Lincoln College and Oxford and Stanford universities, Mr Sunak brings varied experience to the recession-marred Britain. He has worked at Goldman Sachs, and multiple hedge and investment funds. Married to the daughter of Indian billionaire Narayana Murthy of Infosys, he is a rich, privileged and well-integrated practising Hindu politician of colour, in contemporary Britain.

Mr Sunak made rapid rise in British politics while campaigning for Brexit and advocating (ironically) greater immigration controls. He served as Chancellor of the Exchequer (Finance Minister) during the Pandemic from 2020 to 2022, and Chief Secretary to the Treasury from 2019 to 2020. He has been an MP from Richmond (Yorks) since 2015. He has been a leader of the Conservative Party since 24 October 2022. His Conservative predecessor, Ms Liz Truss, resigned after fumbling on economy less than 50 days in office.

Mr Sunak faces daunting challenges like calming financial markets, dealing with rising inflation and falling living standards, energy crisis, the war in Ukraine and questions about his personal wealth. As Chancellor, his 2020 ‘Furlough Policy’ supported over 80 per cent workers through generous payouts during the Pandemic, but it excluded three million self-employed workers. Now his intention to end this (unsustainable) policy is drawing ire. His ‘cost of living’ support was disbursed miserly and piecemeal. He is accused of less-than-optimal support for Britain’s 1.3 million poor, betraying his shallow concern.

UK’s inflation today tops 10 per cent, eroding living standards. There is the biggest drop in disposable income and for the first-time demand for food banks outstrips supply. January could see energy blackouts and fuel bills may further soar in April, with ‘fuel poverty’ affecting 10.7 million people. Ambulance delays today threaten lives. The economy is set to have ‘the highest inflation and lowest growth’ among G-7 nations next year. Therefore, support to poor households shielding them against rising cost of living; improving productivity through investment; finding enough labour to fill available openings; and righting UK’s trade relationship with the EU are PM Sunak’s other challenges. Moody’s on 21 October changed UK’s economic outlook to negative, from stable. And erstwhile Chancellor, Mr Sunak is complicit for some of this mess.

Ukraine seems to have developed into a slugfest with no end in sight on terms sought by the UK/EU. Besides hemorrhaging its economy, UK’s reported complicity in Nord Strom blast, paints Britain in bad light.

Sunak’s Conservative Party after over a decade in power seems to have run out of ideas. His ‘anticipated recipe’ to balance the books by curtailing social spending and tax-burdening ordinary people (not wealthy) in accordance with his professed Thatcherite notions of ‘small state, individualism and constrained public spending’ – experts believe – may not work. The UK inevitably is set to lose some of its sheen.

At familial and perceptual levels, he has other baggage. He is accused of being removed from daily dreads of contemporary British life due to his privileged background, grooming and circle of ‘bold and beautiful’. In March this year, his self-promotion photograph, showing him self-filling his car’s tank at a gas station, backfired when it was revealed that the car belonged to a store employee. He also struggled with ‘contactless payment’ indicating minimal degree of contact with ordinary life.

Mr Sunak was educated in expensive private schools like the prestigious Winchester College (roughly $50,000 annual tuition fee). His subsequent alma mater, the privileged Oxford University, has produced more than half of all British Prime Ministers since 1721, including the last seven.

His wife, Akshata Murty, a Brahman, has an $800 million undeclared stake in Infosys, the Indian-owned outsourcing giant founded by Mr Sunak’s father-in-law… as indirect source of his wealth. Infosys’ $8.6 million technology contract (not previously reported) with UK Home Office, responsible for immigration control, is at odds with his Party’s immigration policy. The contract ran through his term as Chancellor. A post-Brexit trade deal with India in 2021 is also reported to have benefited Infosys. He and his wife acquired seed money for their start-up investment fund, Catamaran Ventures UK from Infosys investments. Angela Rayner, deputy leader in the opposition Labour Party, cited ‘worrying lack of transparency’ in case of Infosys; that many experts believe, constitutes conflict of interest.

The Company was indicted in the US for immigration fraud, tax evasion and following practices discriminatory against the US workers. In 2013, Infosys paid $34 million, a record settlement in Justice Department lawsuit for years of “systemic visa fraud”. In 2019, it settled immigration and tax investigation with California State.

Mr Sunak’s closely guarded and undeclared personal wealth is also noticeable for offshore accounts, taxation issues, and potential conflicts of interest. His penthouse in Santa Monica, California; an $8 million townhouse and apartment in London; a $2.3 million manor house in British countryside (Yorkshire); and an American Green Card until last year, make him less relatable to UK’s 1.5 million strong Indian diaspora, for whom his meteoric rise is both inspiring and distant.

Mr Sunak was mentored and guided in privilege. The Conservative Party elected him from one of the safest Conservative seats. And as Chancellor, he had limitless finances to help companies during the Pandemic. He was popularly hailed a saviour during lockdowns. However, today elected with some 200 Conservative votes, he does not enjoy rank and file support in the Party. He might have trouble leading a fractured Party and Country, as large number of Conservative MPs and Party members believe ‘he has no legitimate mandate’, says Matthew Goodwin, Professor at the University of Kent.

Most Britons of South Asian descent do not ascribe his rise as testament to vanishing inequality and racism in the UK, and his performance would have implications. His skin colour and Hindu credentials are both asset and liability; and the litmus test would be his economic performance, compassion for the poor, pulling Britain out of crises, international leadership and resolution of the conflict in Ukraine. Good luck to the English Brahman!

Published in The Express Tribune, November 3^rd, 2022.

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