Rishi Sunak takes over as the UK PM, says he is not daunted with current pressures

Conservative Party leader Rishi Sunak on Tuesday became Britain's third prime minister this year after the humiliated Liz Truss left office within 45 days. Sunak met King Charles in the afternoon after Truss tendered her resignation. Departing Downing Street, Truss wished Sunak "every success" and said she remained "more convinced than ever" that Britain needed to be "bold" in confronting the challenges it faced. Sunak was born on 12 May 1980 in England’s Southampton, and is a conservative party leader and has been active in politics since 2010.  

At his first address as the prime minister, Sunak said that he has accepted an invitation from King Charles III to form a new government, and is not daunted by the pressure of the current crisis. "I'm not daunted," Sunak said, adding that he knows of the pressure of the high office and hopes he can live up to its demands. 

Paying tribute to his predecessor Truss, Sunak said: "It is only right to explain why I am standing here as your new prime minister," he said, adding that, “Right now our country is facing a profound economic crisis. The aftermath of Covid still lingers." 

Also read: Kingdom in strife: Rishi Sunak's 3 immediate challenges as UK PM

Sunak added that during his time as chancellor he did everything he could "to protect people and businesses" through schemes such as furlough. "I will bring the same compassion to the challenges we face today," he said, adding that he will not leave the next generation with a "debt to settle that we were too weak to pay ourselves". 

He added that he will unite the country not with words but with action. “I will work day in and day out to deliver for you,” he said.  

Sunak said that he is ready to lead the country "into the future and put your needs above politics", adding he would build a government that "represents the best of my party."

Earlier, PM Narendra Modi had congratulated Sunak and had said he is looking forward to working closely with Sunak on global issues and implementing 'Roadmap 2030'. 
 
"Warmest congratulations @RishiSunak! As you become UK PM, I look forward to working closely together on global issues and implementing Roadmap 2030. Special Diwali wishes to the 'living bridge' of UK Indians, as we transform our historic ties into a modern partnership," he wrote on Twitter.

UK-India trade deal

It is to be noted that India and UK are working on a free trade deal, which was earlier expected to be finalised by Diwali. It hit a roadblock after outgoing PM Liz Truss said it was no longer working on that deadline. With Sunak taking over the reins, New Delhi will be expecting a lucrative deal as early as possible.
Earlier, India-UK free trade agreement (FTA) was on held back after Britain’s Indian-origin former Home Secretary Suella Braverman flagged her concerns about visa overstayers from India in an interview.
Braverman had said that she feared a trade deal with India would increase migration to the UK when Indians already represented the largest group of visa overstayers. “Look at migration in this country – the largest group of people who overstay are Indian migrants,” Braverman had said. “I have concerns about having an open borders migration policy with India because I don’t think that’s what people voted for with Brexit," she told The Spectator weekly news magazine.