UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak spoke of pride at becoming UK’s first prime minister of colour. Sunak, who is an observant Hindu, said that him assuming the top post said something about Britain’s diversity.
In an interview published on Saturday (November 5), Sunak revealed that he refused to step aside for ex-PM Boris Johnson when is sought to chart a political comeback after former PM Liz Truss resigned. He said he was convinces that as a former finance minister, he was the right person to lead the country through cost-of-living crisis.
Sunak won the race to replace Liz Truss as premier and leader of the Conservative Party on October 24, the same day Hindus marked Diwali, the festival of lights.
The new premier’s first formal event in Downing Street was a Diwali reception.
“It was obviously marvellous. It meant a lot of things to a lot of people,” said Sunak, who as Johnson’s finance minister would lay out traditional Diwali decorations on the doorstep of his official residence at 11 Downing Street.
Sunak is of Indian heritage. His grandparents hailed from pre-independence India. They emigrated to Britain form eastern Africa in the 1960s.
“As chancellor I was able to light my Diwali Diyas (lamps) on the steps of Downing Street. It said something wonderful about our country that that was possible, but also that it wasn’t a big deal.
“It was in a sense gosh, this is great, but also that’s just Britain,” he told The Times newspaper in his first major interview since taking office.
“Hopefully it’s a source of collective pride across the country,” he added.
(With inputs from agencies)
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