Rishi Sunak, who was born in the 1980s in Southampton, England, to parents who were immigrants from India in East Africa, ushered in his second "global highlight moment" - the election of the new leader of the British Conservative Party on July 13 In the first round of voting, Sunak received the support of 88 of the Conservative Party 358 members of Congress, ranking first in the first round of voting. Although there are still multiple rounds of voting to face, the result in the first round, which was 21 votes higher than the second place, must have made the 42-year-old former finance minister very excited.
Last week, more than 60 British government officials resigned one after another, "forcing Prime Minister Johnson to vacate" Johnson The political earthquake originated from Sunak and Health Secretary Sajid Javid, who took the lead in attacking Johnson on July 5. On July 6, Sunak completed registration for the campaign website. The day after Johnson announced his resignation, he announced his candidacy.
The speed of his campaign is just like the development of his official career, fast, stable and accurate.
Previously, it only took Sunak five years to become the "second-in-command" of the British government. He was elected as a local member of Parliament in the United Kingdom in 2015 and was re-elected in 2017 and 2019. From 2018 to 2019, he served as the Secretary of State for Local Government Affairs and the Chief Secretary of the Ministry of Finance. In February 2020, he was appointed as the British Chancellor of the Exchequer by Johnson. He was only 40 years old at the time.
Earlier, his life had already been "cheating": he went to prestigious schools all the way, from Winchester Public School , Oxford University to Stanford Business School, and met his wife Akshata (whose father is known as After becoming the "India Gates"), Sunak became the richest MP in the UK and owned luxury homes in many places.
However, Sunak’s recent exposure to “black material” is mostly related to these. For example, in an interview with the BBC program 20 years ago, he said that he "has friends from the aristocracy and the upper class, but no friends from the working class." His wife was also exposed to using her status as a "non-resident in the UK" to avoid taxes, etc. .
Of course, what is more controversial is Sunak’s policies during his tenure as chancellor. Affected by the new crown epidemic, the British economy has been greatly affected. Sunak has launched a 490 billion pound rescue plan to provide support for the unemployed.
Because of this "spreading money" policy, Sunak was also called "Santa Claus in protective clothing" by the British people, and his support rate once far exceeded Johnson's. However, this move has tripled the British government's fiscal deficit. Coupled with the impact of various other factors, Britain's current economic problems such as inflation are still very difficult.
Although he promised to face the country's difficult economic background with "honesty, seriousness and determination" when he ran for prime minister, he vowed to take Britain in the right direction. But polls show his support is plummeting.
The website "Conservatism Home" that supports the Conservative Party reported on the 11th that former Defense Secretary Penny Mordaunt currently has the highest support rate. Reuters reported that although Sunak may be the most popular candidate at present, according to a poll of nearly 900 Conservative Party members conducted by British analysis company YouGov, Mordaunt is the most favored. Opinion polls show that if Mordaunt reaches the runoff, she will defeat any other opponent.
Currently, Mordaunt received 67 votes in the first round of voting, ranking second.
Contrary to Sunak's life, Mordaunt is a typical example of "counterattack". When she was 15, her mother died of breast cancer . The next year, my father was diagnosed with cancer . To help pay for college, Mordaunt worked part-time as a magician's assistant at a magic show organization.
In 2010, Mordaunt entered British politics when he was elected as the MP for Portsmouth North for the first time. During her tenure as a member of the House of Representatives, her rise to fame was unexpected. In 2014, a popular British diving reality show was broadcast, in which celebrities from all walks of life were invited to try diving. The appearance of Mordaunt, a member of parliament in a swimsuit, quickly made her a "hot search".
Judging from various information, compared with other popular candidates, Mordaunt may not be so "heavyweight", after all, she is not in the cabinet. But Mordaunt has a long history of tenure. He has successively served as Deputy Minister of Defense for the Armed Forces, Minister of State for Disabled Persons, Secretary of State for International Development, and Minister of Women and Equality.In 2019, Mordaunt made a gorgeous transition from magician's assistant to defense minister, becoming the first female defense minister in British history.
Moreover, when this naval reserve officer served as Secretary of Defense, many British people praised his heroic image in mediating with the Ministry of Finance on the defense budget and updating weapons and equipment.
According to the election rules, there will be multiple rounds of elections, and the final results of the new Conservative Party leader election will be announced on September 5. For Sunak and Mordaunt, the remaining month or so is crucial, but they could be out at any time. British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the British House of Commons Tugendhat, etc. are all their strong competitors.
But whoever succeeds Johnson as the leader of the Conservative Party and Prime Minister will face various challenges in rebuilding the government's credibility, boosting the economy, and bridging the differences within the Conservative Party.
source | Yangcheng Evening News·Yangcheng Pai
article | Leng Shuang
picture | The Paper, Beijing News, Reuters
editor | Lin Liai
