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Newly appointed Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is considering delaying next week’s scheduled budget statement as he considers ways to plug a £40bn hole in the UK economy. Mr Sunak is expected to meet Finance Minister Jeremy Hunt today to discuss proposals to raise taxes and squeeze public spending, the Times reported. According to the agency, the statement is likely to be delayed by a few days, so it will come before November 3, when the Bank of England announces its interest rate plan. It may even be pushed back to become a full budget, the report added. It comes after Mr Hunt overturned Liz Truss’s economic growth plan on October 17, after weeks of financial turmoil prompted her resignation. Mr Sunak quickly appointed Mr Hunt as his finance minister in a bid to calm markets. The prime minister’s formation of his cabinet included the axing of nearly a dozen of Mrs Truss’s top ministers, including Jacob Rees-Mogg, while reviving the careers of several big names from the Johnson government, including Suella Braverman, Dominic Raab and Michael Gov.
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Sunak Cabinet: Who’s in and who’s out?
New Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has set about forming his top team, with big names such as Jacob Rees-Mogg announcing their departures on the back benches. The newly appointed Conservative leader warned that the UK is facing a “deep economic crisis” in his maiden speech. Cabinet ministers who have already resigned include Brandon Lewis. He confirmed he was out as justice secretary as he pledged to back Mr Sunak from the backbenches. Read the details in this joint report by Thomas Kingsley and Lucy Skoulding: Namita Singh26 October 2022 07:08 1666764398
Sunak’s new cabinet is scheduled to meet before PMQs
Rishi Sunak’s newly formed cabinet is due to meet for the first time at 9.30am, Downing Street has confirmed. It comes a day after the new prime minister killed nearly a dozen of Liz Truss’ top ministers, including Jacob Rees-Mogg, while reviving the careers of several big names, including Suella Braverman, Dominic Raab and Michael Gove. Jacob Rees-Mogg arrives for a meeting with newly appointed British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at 10 Downing Street in central London on October 25, 2022 (AFP via Getty Images) Mr Sunak will face his first Prime Minister’s Questions later today. Namita Singh26 October 2022 07:06 1666763618
Holden dodges question about the politics behind Sunak and Braverman joining forces
Tory MP Richard Holden dodged a question on BBC Newsnight about whether Rishi Sunak was united with Home Secretary Suella Braverman on the need to significantly reduce immigration. He told the programme: “I think what the Prime Minister and the Home Secretary are absolutely united on is that they want to control illegal immigration. This is the priority of my constituents. What they want to see is what is being addressed. This is really their first priority. The wider issues around immigration, whether it’s student visas or other things, is a different matter.” The key thing about dealing with immigration, as far as my constituents are concerned, is that they don’t want to see people arriving in small boats and they want that immigration under control. Richard Holden Asked why Mr Sunak would hire her as home secretary if he didn’t agree with her, Mr Holden said: “I think we all want to see a balanced immigration policy, we all want immigration to be controlled. This is what my constituents want. This is what Rishi wants. This is what the government wants to offer.” Namita Singh26 October 2022 06:53 1666763536
Sunak would “repair” the damage done by Truss, says Holden
Tory MP Richard Holden said Rishi Sunak would “repair” the “damage caused” by Liz Truss’s government and promised an end to the political turmoil of recent weeks. He told BBC Newsnight: “No doubt damage has been done but we have to fix it.” Conservative MP Richard Holden speaks to the press following the resignation of Liz Truss as Prime Minister on October 20, 2022 in London, England (Getty Images) “We need to fix this as soon as possible. And that’s exactly what Rishi is doing tonight. “And I think with a cabinet that can provide financial credibility, it can provide competencies and it can provide unity. This is the best you can do. “Because all of these things actually play back into a positive feedback loop with the financial markets. When they see instability, then you have a bigger problem and then it feeds back into the parliamentary party.” He continued: “He will be able to get his legislation through parliament. You will see no further political unrest.” Namita Singh26 October 2022 06:52 1666761887
Sunak will face Prime Minister’s Questions in the House of Commons
Rishi Sunak will face his first appearance in the Commons as prime minister on Wednesday as he begins the grueling task of uniting his party and restoring the UK’s economic credibility. The new prime minister will clash with Sir Keir Starmer later, who has not appointed a new cabinet that he hopes will bring some political stability to the country. It comes after another big day in British politics which saw Mr Sunak kill nearly a dozen of Mrs Truss’s top ministers, including Jacob Rees-Mogg, while reviving the careers of many big names including Suella Braverman, Dominic Raab and Michael Gove. Namita Singh26 October 2022 06:24 1666761156
Who are the rich in-laws of Rishi Sunak?
The appointment of Rishi Sunak as Britain’s first Asian prime minister sent a wave of jubilation across India. The reasons were twofold – his own Indian heritage and that of his wife Akshata Murty, daughter of one of India’s richest businessmen, Narayana Murthy. On Tuesday, Mr Murthy, hailed as the father of India’s IT boom, congratulated his son-in-law on his elevation and said he believed he would do his best for the UK. “Congratulations Rishi. We are proud of him and wish him success,” Mr Murthy was quoted as saying in a statement. My colleagues Stuti Mishra and Srivasti Dasgupta report:
Who are the rich in-laws of Rishi Sunak?
The personal story of Narayana Murthy, ‘India’s Steve Jobs’ and father-in-law of the UK Prime Minister, reflects on his country’s journey to becoming a successful global IT hub Namita Singh26 October 2022 06:12 1666760846
Rishi Sunak holds ‘constructive’ talks with Scottish and Welsh first ministers
Rishi Sunak spoke to the First Ministers of Scotland and Wales yesterday afternoon in constructive talks, stressing their “duty” to work together to meet the UK’s “shared challenges”. Mr Sunak spoke to Nicola Sturgeon and Mark Drakeford after completing his cabinet reshuffle. After the conversation, the Prime Minister said it was “good to speak” to Mr Drakeford and Ms Sturgeon. He tweeted: “I emphasized our duty to work closely together to meet the common challenges we face so that collectively we can deliver for the people of the UK.” Namita Singh26 October 2022 06:07 1666760794
Rishi Sunak pledges the UK’s continued solidarity with Ukraine
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak made his first diplomatic call to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday, hours after entering No 10 Downing Street, and pledged continued support for the beleaguered nation. “A privilege to speak with the President of Ukraine [Volodymyr Zelensky] this afternoon. Both he and the Ukrainian people can count on the UK’s continued solidarity and support. We will always stand by the UK,” Mr Sunak said on Twitter. Mr Sunak is the third prime minister to hold talks with Zelensky during the eight-month war. Namita Singh26 October 2022 06:06 1666759552
NHS leaders are demanding clarity on funding to avoid the winter bed being blocked
NHS officials fear they could be forced to raid already stretched budgets to prevent hospital beds being locked up this winter. The warning from NHS leaders comes as ministers proposed that half of the £500m fund aimed at freeing up hospital beds would come from savings in existing budgets. The Lib Dems have branded the adult social care discharge fund a “sticking plaster” and called on the government to “get to grips” with the multiple crises facing the NHS ahead of what is expected to be a difficult winter. Namita Singh26 October 2022 05:45 1666759430
Biden and Sunak confirm ‘special relationship’, agreeing to support Ukraine
US President Joe Biden and Britain’s new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, in a phone call yesterday, reaffirmed the “special relationship” between the two countries as they agreed on the importance of supporting Ukraine, the White House said in a statement. . Mr. Biden and Mr. Sunak also agreed on the importance of working together to address the challenges posed by China and to ensure sustainable and affordable energy resources, the statement said. They also discussed their commitment to the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement, it said. Namita Singh26 October 2022 05:43
