Rishi Sunak has become the 57th Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, securing the support of the Conservative Party to form a government. His securing of the role is historic, as he becomes the first British Asian and first Hindu to hold the position.
British Asians, specifically those from the Indian subcontinent, have contributed an enormous amount to British culture and history. Beginning in the 18th century, and accelerating after the Second World War, Indian migration to the UK created vibrant communities in the nation’s largest cities and led to British Indians being the largest visible ethnic minority group in the country, with over 1.4 million British Indians living in the UK.
British Indians have had an equally historic and important role in Westminster. Dadabhai Naroroji became the first British Indian MP in 1892, being joined by Mancherjee Bhownagree, the first Conservative British Indian MP in 1895. There are currently 7 British Indian MPs for the Conservative Party, with 5 having served in the Cabinet. Since the 2010 General Election, the Conservative Party has committed to diversifying its representatives and has succeeded in creating the most diverse cabinet in its history in 2022. Sunak’s election as Prime Minster continues this legacy of creating opportunities for individuals to rise within the Conservative Party, regardless of ethnicity.
Sunak’s election to the role of Prime Minister has been met with support from other world leaders. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted: “As you become UK PM, I look forward to working closely together on global issues, and implementing Roadmap 2030”. Within India, there is excitement surrounding the election of Sunak, as well as hope that his election as Prime Minister will help further improve relations between the UK and India, specifically surrounding the agreement of a free trade deal to help promote growth in both economies.