From first Hindu British-Indian PM to worst leader of the Tories: How history will judge Rishi Sunak

The historic defeat of the Conservatives under Rishi Sunak’s leadership, and consequentially, the end of his 20-month premiership, have brought his legacy under the lens.

From being Britain’s first leader of colour and the first Hindu to hold the position, to leading the Conservatives through their worst election performance in modern history, and multiple gaffes in between, we examine the controversial legacy of Rishi Sunak.

First British Indian prime minister

Rishi Sunak’s scripted history as the first non-Christian, British Indian Prime Minister of the UK. His appointment was seen as a symbol of the country’s increasing multiculturalism and the acceptance of ethnic diversity at the highest levels of government.

For older British-Indians, and many within India, this was a matter of pride. It also served some aspirational value.

Youngest British PM

At 44 years old, Sunak leaves office as the youngest ex-prime minister for well over a century. He became prime minister just seven years after becoming an MP — shorter than any other recent occupant of Downing Street. Sunak’s political inexperience was reflected in some of the mistakes made in a bruising election campaign.

People-friendly schemes during COVID-19

Sunak had been one of the most popular British politicians for decades when he first came to public attention as Chancellor of the Exchequer during the Covid pandemic. His furlough scheme — where the taxpayer subsidised the wages of those who could not work virtually during lockdown — was enormously popular.

The out of touch PM

Sunak and his wife, Akshata Narayana Murty — often seen wearing expensive clothing and other lavish attire — alienated working-class people in the country. With an estimated fortune of 651 million pounds, the couple are the wealthiest inhabitants yet of No. 10 Downing Street. They’re even richer than King Charles III. With his Silicon Valley background and billionaire in-laws, Sunak has frequently contended with accusations of being woefully disconnected with ordinary voters.

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Labour leader Starmer said this made Sunak out of touch with the everyday realities and struggles of working people. Negative perceptions of his wealth did seem to make it harder for him to forge a connection with voters in such tough economic times. To make matters worse, in an interview with ITV News, the prime minister said he went without “lots of things” as a child. But when pressed for an example, he listed out Sky TV, among other non-essentials.

Leader of the worst performance of the Conservative Party

The crushing defeat of the Conservative Party in the UK election ends Rishi Sunak’s two-year premiership. He has a place in history books as the prime minister to suffer one of the heaviest election defeats in Britain’s modern political history. Rishi Sunak has led the Tories to the worst electoral defeat in his party’s 346-year history. The Conservative Party has won just over 120 seats this election, a drop of nearly 250 seats from the last election.

Major gaffes

The decision by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to leave D-Day commemorations in northern France early had caused a political storm that threatens to derail his Conservative Party’s general election campaign.

Another gaffe was Sunak making fun of Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey, after he said women could have penises. Sunak said, “Like me, you can probably see that he was trying to convince everybody that women clearly had penises. You’ll all know that I’m a big fan of everybody studying maths to 18, but it turns out that we need to focus on biology.” His comment was called crass, and criticised for being transphobic.

Controversial Rwanda bill for fixing immigration

Rishi Sunak’s legacy as Prime Minister will also include the mention of controversial policies, notably his flagship Rwanda deportation plan.

The Rwanda deportation policy, aimed at sending asylum seekers to Rwanda to deter illegal immigration, has been a significant point of contention. Despite its ambitious goal, the policy has faced immense legal and ethical challenges, resulting in substantial financial costs. As of mid-2024, the plan has reportedly cost the UK government over £120 million without a single deportation taking place. This financial burden, coupled with widespread criticism from human rights organistions and legal hurdles, has cast a shadow over Sunak’s immigration strategy.

The un-implemented flagship no-smoking bill

Additionally, Sunak’s no-smoking bills, designed to reduce smoking rates among the population, have also encountered significant obstacles. While the intention behind these bills was to improve public health, the lack of comprehensive support measures for smokers trying to quit has led to criticism. Moreover, the enforcement mechanisms have been questioned, with concerns about their practicality and effectiveness. These failures in implementation have diminished the intended impact of the no-smoking initiative, contributing to a perception of ineffectiveness in Sunak’s public health policies.

With inputs from agencies