UK's next prime minister could be of Indian heritage
July 20, 2022, 7:58 am

UK's next prime minister could be of Indian heritage

Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak. Labour’s Rachel Reeves says there is a ‘growing feeling that if one has access to a telephone number of someone like the prime minister or the chancellor of the exchequer, then they are able to gain special treatment’.

After British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's resignation as leader of the ruling Conservative Party, Rishi Sunak, one of the lawmakers competing for the party leadership and prime minister's seat, won another round of voting Tuesday (July 19), bringing him one step closer to possibly becoming the first person of Indian origin to occupy the UK’s top post, the Anadolu Agency reported.

Since Johnson stepped down on July 7 as a result of a series of events, including resignations in his Cabinet and party, the 358 deputies of the Conservative faction in the House of Commons began the process of electing its new leader and prime minister.

To replace Johnson, Sunak, the former chancellor of the Exchequer, International Trade Minister Penny Mordaunt, head of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee Tom Tugendhat, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, Attorney General Suella Braverman, former Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, former Equalities Minister Kemi Badenoch, and current Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi competed in the first round held on July 13.

The election rounds will continue by eliminating the deputies with the fewest votes until the last two candidates remain and Conservative members of parliament will decide between the final two candidates in a postal ballot. The results are expected on Sept. 5.

Rishi Sunak went to Winchester College and studied Politics, Philosophy and Economics at Oxford University. He was also a Fulbright Scholar at Stanford University (USA) where he studied for his MBA - Photo. Official Facebook account

Sunak was the candidate with the most votes in round one, at 88, while Mordaunt received 67, Truss 50, Badenoch 40, Tugendhat 37 and Braverman 32.

Sunak garnered 101 votes in the second round, followed by Mordaunt with 83, Truss with 64, Badenoch with 49, and Tugendhat with 32.

Rishi Sunak wins UK's third round leadership vote

In the third round, Sunak earned 115 votes, followed by Mordaunt with 82, Truss 71, Badenoch 58, and Tugendhat 31. Due to receiving the fewest votes in this round, Tugendhat was knocked out of the leadership race.

In the fourth round, Sunak received 118 votes, Mordaunt 92, Truss 86 and Badenoch 59. Due to receiving the fewest votes, Badenoch was eliminated.

Three candidates remain in the race – Sunak, Mordaunt and Truss.

On Wednesday (July 20), one more round of voting will be held to eliminate one candidate, leaving just two contenders for the top position in the party. After that, they will campaign across the country before party members vote on the winner.

UK's Sky News cancels third Conservative leadership debate

Sunak's ancestors were Indian immigrants who traveled from India to England and from England to Africa. His father, Yashvir Sunak, was born in Kenya, while his mother, Usha Sunak, was born in Tanzania.

Pharmacist Usha and general practitioner Yashvir, who emigrated to England from Africa in the 1960s, met in this country and got married. Rishi Sunak, the eldest of the Sunak family's three children, was born on May 12, 1980 in Southampton, England.

On Sept. 5, after the election, the new leader of the post-Johnson party and the new occupant of the Prime Minister's residence -- No. 10, Downing Street -- will be revealed.

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”