The new Windsor framework: Rishi Sunak's Brexit deal explained in ...

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Analysis: Can Rishi Sunak end the chaos and restore Britain's ...

London CNN —

The rise of Rishi Sunak to the top job in British politics is remarkable. Just seven weeks ago he was comprehensively beaten by Liz Truss in the Conservative party’s leadership contest. Now. after emerging victorious in a leadership contest that was fast-tracked out of the wreckage of her short premiership, he is Prime Minister.

The man who served as Boris Johnson’s finance minister for two and a half years, only to resign and bring down Johnson’s government, now faces the unenviable task of picking up a reeling nation after Truss’s disastrous tenure.

He will do so, it’s fair to assume, by implementing the economic plan that he outlined during his failed leadership bid earlier this year. Sunak criticized Truss’ plans to slash taxes and fund day-to-day spending through borrowing, saying it would cause economic havoc.

Video Ad Feedback See the moment Tory Party announced Sunak to be next British PM 01:38 - Source: CNN

He was proved right when Truss’ government implemented her plans in a “mini-budget,” which caused the pound to fall to its lowest level in decades and collapsed bond prices, sending borrowing costs soaring and pushing pension funds to the brink of insolvency.

As Sunak also predicted, rising interest rates drove up mortgage repayments, and lenders scrambled to pull their products from the market, dashing the hopes of many prospective homeowners almost overnight.

Britain’s international reputation had already taken a hit before Truss came to office. The endless scandals that ultimately forced Johnson from office, on top of his repeated threats to break international law over the Brexit deal he personally agreed with the European Union, had not made world leaders well-disposed towards the UK.

That’s not to say the UK is irrelevant on the world stage. The government’s support of Ukraine, for example, has won Britain – and particularly Johnson – praise from other Western leaders.

Former US National Security Advisor John Bolton wrote in Politico on Monday that “Britain has been the leading foreign power supporting Ukraine. Under the triumvirate of Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and Defense Secretary Ben Wallace, London was at the forefront of political resolve and leadership.”

Sunak’s accession can be directly attributed to the chaos of the past few months. He is seen as a safe pair of hands, having won wide praise for his handling of the economy during the Covid-19 pandemic, helping businesses and citizens with big government spending programs that saved many livelihoods. His job now is clear: To bring calm.

Unfortunately for Sunak, he has inherited a political party that has spent the past few years tearing chunks out of itself. The Conservative party of 2022 is defined by factionalism and split loyalties that made it ungovernable for both Johnson and Truss.

The party is divided on many more lines than left and right, but Sunak will likely have the most difficulty with the Brexiteer populist wing of the party that adored Johnson.

“The reality is, the hardest elements of the Brexiteer right probably didn’t back anyone because they know there is a row coming with the new PM over Brexit,” Salma Shah, a former Conservative adviser, told CNN. “One of the top priorities for Sunak will be negotiating the Northern Ireland Protocol (A disputed part of the post-Brexit deal). If it doesn’t start going their way, they can turn.”

Sunak can either ignore or appease these people, but it could mean having to swallow a large slice of humble pie.

“He can try and neutralize the people from that wing of the party who won’t forgive him over ‘betraying’ Boris or his fiscal restraint by appointing a cabinet that appeases them. Potentially, that means swallowing his pride and finding something for Boris and Liz Truss to do,” Shah added.

If he doesn’t then Johnson could cause Sunak problems from the backbenches, if he was in the mood for revenge.

“Presumably he won’t put him in the government which could mean he causes trouble on the backbenches. I guess they have to hope he gives up his seat and goes off to make money,” said Tim Bale, professor of politics at Queen Mary University.

Party management is something that might be out of Sunak’s hands in the immediate future. What is firmly in his gift, however, is economic policy and dealing with international partners.

“He’s someone with a lot of global experience outside of politics and also dealing with global figures as chancellor. He is a fluent communicator and he knows what he is talking about when it comes to the economy. So I think there is every chance he will be welcomed by the international community not only if he can settle the economy but also UK politics,” Bale added.

In an ideal world for Sunak, he would bring economic stability, and with it, bring political stability. But long-time observers of British politics will know that the two don’t always go hand in hand.

“He will have to implement policies because of Truss’s mini-budget that will be politically unpopular with different groups for different reasons,” said Vicky Pryce, former joint head of the UK’s Government Economic Service.

That, Pryce said, could mean austerity to balance the books, windfall taxes on energy firms, and reversing Truss’s idea to remove caps on bankers’ bonuses. “He has to balance policies that could enrage Conservative MPs against policies that could turn the public against him.”

For their part, Conservative MPs and advisers are a mix of relieved, furious, worried and in some cases defeated. Some think that the public will appreciate a bit of peace and quiet from the political mayhem. Some are beside themselves that the man who brought down Johnson got his way. Some believe that Sunak is going to be too soft on Brexit. Some believe that the next election is already lost.

There are in theory at least two years until the next general election will be held. That is more than enough time for Sunak to steady the ship and restore the Conservative’s dire poll ratings to something more competitive. But he needs to take his party with him.

And if the past few weeks are anything to go by, the new prime minister might become another Conservative leader who is forced to spend more time managing the internal politics of his own party than dealing with the massive problems facing his country.

Conservative leadership race: Who might replace Boris Johnson as ...

London CNN —

The race to replace British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is ramping up, with 11 candidates declaring their intention to run, many on platforms of lowering taxes and promises to clean up government following Johnson’s crisis-plagued leadership.

Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 Committee of Conservative party backbenchers announced on Monday that a new leader would be announced on September 5, the same day that the British parliament returns from its summer recess. He also said that the candidate list would close on Monday, before a first round of voting on Wednesday. The list will then be whittled down to two, and the party’s grassroot members will be given the final say.

Johnson announced on Thursday he would step down, after nearly 60 lawmakers and government officials resigned over his handling of a series of scandals, including illegal gatherings held at his Downing Street office in defiance of coronavirus lockdown rules and his failure to act on sexual misconduct allegations against his deputy chief whip.

Now, with the government in tatters, bookmakers and much of Britain are speculating about his likely successor. A slew of contenders have thrown their hat into the ring – from household names to lesser-known Conservative members of parliament.

Among those to announce their candidacy are an Iraqi Kurdish refugee, the children of Indian and Pakistani immigrants and several women – reflecting efforts by the Conservative Party to field more ethnically diverse candidates for Parliament in recent years.

Any candidates who run for the leadership will go through rounds of voting by Conservative lawmakers until only two remain – at which point Conservative Party members nationwide will vote. The winner will be the new party leader – and prime minister.

Here’s a look at the possible contenders.

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Rishi Sunak

Britain's former Chancellor Rishi Sunak. Jessica Taylor/UK Parliament/Reuters

The former chancellor formally announced he was standing to succeed Johnson in a campaign video on Friday, which began with the story of his Indian parents, who both emigrated to the UK from East Africa. “It was Britain, our country, that gave them and millions like them the chance of a better future,” he said. “I want to lead this country in the right direction.”

Sunak was Johnson’s presumed successor for several months after he won praise for overseeing Britain’s initial financial response to the Covid-19 pandemic. But he has suffered several of his own scandals while in government.

His stock sank earlier this year after revelations that he broke Covid regulations to attend the prime minister’s birthday party on June 19, 2020, for which he later apologized “unreservedly.”

His financial and legal affairs came under scrutiny this spring following reports his wife had non-domicile status in the UK – meaning she was not liable to pay tax on overseas income – and that he held a US green card while serving as minister.

His popularity has also taken a beating in recent weeks as Britain has suffered the worst cost-of-living crisis in decades. Sunak has struggled to keep down spiraling inflation and has been criticized by opposition parties for what they call a slow and inadequate series of financial measures. Among the economic woes facing Britons after Sunak’s time as the UK’s chief financial minister: real wages dropping to their lowest levels in more than 21 years and inflation hitting a 40-year high of 9.1% in May.

But he is still among the bookmakers’ odds-on favorites to take Johnson’s job.

Sajid Javid

Former Health Secretary Sajid Javid. Leon Neal/Getty Images

The former health secretary, whose resignation set off a wave of departures from Johnson’s government, officially announced his candidacy on Sunday.

“Whether it’s the cost of living or it’s low levels of growth, for me, that’s our most immediate challenge… You need someone with an economic plan from day one,” he said, adding that his economic plan would have two prongs: short-term measures to help people meet cost-of-living challenges and a longer-term plan for tax reform.

Posting on Twitter on Sunday, Javid said: “The next Prime Minister needs integrity, experience, and a tax-cutting plan for economic growth. That’s why I’m standing.”

The statement echoed Javid’s resignation speech in the House of Commons in which he said that something was “fundamentally wrong” with government.

Those who support Javid’s candidacy hope that he will be credited for triggering Johnson’s ultimate ouster, having been the first cabinet minister to resign – though Sunak followed him minutes later.

The MP has twice run for party leadership in the past – in 2016, after the Brexit referendum, and in 2019, when Johnson was ultimately elected. He served as chancellor from 2019 to 2020.

His family immigrated from Pakistan to the UK in the 1960s, and his father worked as a bus driver.

Liz Truss

UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss. Tolga Akmen/AFP/Getty Images

The foreign secretary made her leadership ambitions known in The Telegraph on Sunday. At the heart of her leadership bid is a pledge to cut taxes “from day one,” to tackle the cost-of-living crisis.

Liz Truss became the chief negotiator with the European Union on the UK’s Brexit deal in December 2021 and has held multiple cabinet positions. Since voting Remain in 2016, she has since become one of the loudest Euroskeptic voices in the government, which many have chalked up to her desire for the top job.

She has a formidable and dedicated team around her – some of whom previously worked in Number 10 – which has been producing slick videos and photos of her looking thoroughly statesmanlike. She has apparently attempted to channel former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, wearing a headscarf while driving a tank, and her role in fronting the response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has also heightened her public profile.

In her comment piece in The Telegraph, she highlighted her foreign policy expertise, writing: “As Foreign Secretary, I have helped to lead the international response to Putin’s war in Ukraine and delivered a tough sanctions package that has led the world, by imposing real pain on Putin and the Kremlin.”

Truss is popular among Conservative members, who would pick the eventual winner of a contest. But Johnson’s downfall could simultaneously tarnish anyone in his cabinet, meaning Conservative voters could turn to a backbencher to take the mantle.

Penny Mordaunt

Britain's Trade Minister Penny Mordaunt. Aaron Chown/PA Images/Getty Images

The trade minister, one of the bookmakers’ favorites to replace Johnson, announced her bid for the leadership on Sunday. A poll of party members published July 4 by website Conservative Home put her as the second favorite choice, behind the current defense secretary Ben Wallace, who has ruled himself out of the race.

Penny Mordaunt first entered parliament in 2010 and later joined the cabinet under Theresa May, serving as international development and defense secretary.

After last month’s confidence vote, Mordaunt declined to comment on whether she backed Johnson, raising eyebrows among Westminster observers when she said: “I didn’t choose this prime minister.”

Announcing her interest in the top job, she said the party “leadership needs to become a little less about the leader and a lot more about the ship.”

Mordaunt, who in 2019 became the first woman to serve as defense minister, invoked Thatcher in her statement, saying the former Conservative leader “was remarkable for not just what she did but the speed she did it.”

“She had a vision and a plan. So do I,” she added.

Tom Tugendhat

Committee chairman Tom Tugendhat. Niall Carson/PA Images/Getty Images

A former British military officer who chairs the Foreign Affairs Committee, Tom Tugendhat has been one of Johnson’s most robust critics and has called for the Conservative Party to drop its focus on “divisive politics.”

Launching his leadership bid on Thursday in The Telegraph newspaper, Tugendhat wrote: “I have served before – in the military, and now in Parliament. Now I hope to answer the call once again as prime minister. It’s time for a clean start. It’s time for renewal.”

He outlined his vision for tackling the cost of living crisis, reducing taxes and investing in neglected regions of the UK.

Despite not having any cabinet or shadow cabinet experience, Tugendhat has impressed colleagues with his oratory skills and seriousness, most notably when he spoke about the fall of Afghanistan. He entered parliament in 2015 after serving in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

Some key centrist Conservatives have already been throwing their support behind the relative wildcard, but some worry that his experience is too focused on foreign affairs.

Nadhim Zahawi

Britain's newly appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer Nadhim Zahawi. Daniel Leal/AFP/Getty Images

Less than two days after he was appointed by Johnson to the role of chancellor, replacing Sunak, Nadhim Zahawi publicly called on the prime minister to resign and later launched his bid to replace him.

Until his promotion, Zahawi, who joined the cabinet less than a year ago, was considered an unlikely choice as the next leader of the Conservative Party. But his rise under Johnson has been rapid, making his mark with early success as vaccines minister amid the coronavirus pandemic and then as education secretary.

In his pitch for leadership, previewed in The Spectator magazine, he promised to lower taxes for individuals, families and business, boost defense spending, and continue with education reforms he started in his previous role.

Despite voting to leave the European Union in 2016, Zahawi is widely admired among the moderates in the party. Crucially, as one Conservative source put it, “he’s not been in government long enough to have any obvious defects and, despite supporting Boris even after the confidence vote, is not too tainted by association.”

Zahawi was born in Iraq to Kurdish parents and came to the UK as a child, when his family fled Saddam Hussein’s regime. He is believed to be one of the richest politicians in the House of Commons, and helped found the polling company YouGov.

“If a young boy who came here aged 11 without a word of English, can serve at the highest levels of Her Majesty’s Government and run to be the next Prime Minister, anything is possible,” Zahawi is set to say in a speech Monday, an excerpt of which was published by The Spectator.

Jeremy Hunt

Conservative MP Jeremy Hunt. Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images

A former health and foreign secretary, Jeremy Hunt lost the 2019 leadership vote to Johnson. He has since styled himself as an antidote to Johnson and is without question the highest profile contender on the moderate, ex-Remain side of the party.

Hunt announced his bid to become the next Conservative leader in an interview with British newspaper The Sunday Telegraph, pitching himself as “the only major candidate who has not served in Boris Johnson’s government.”

In a statement on Twitter ahead of the confidence vote in June, Hunt said: “Anyone who believes our country is stronger, fairer & more prosperous when led by Conservatives should reflect that the consequence of not changing will be to hand the country to others who do not share those values. Today’s decision is change or lose. I will be voting for change.”

Tellingly, Hunt’s statement focused mainly on the Conservatives’ chances of electoral success under Johnson, rather than his policies or the partygate scandal – a decision that could be read as a pitch to the Conservative MPs and members who would decide a leadership election. However, he comes with baggage, and sources from the opposition Labour Party have told CNN they are already writing attack lines.

“It can’t be Jeremy. Labour can say he was running healthcare for six years and failed to prepare for a pandemic. They can say when he was culture secretary he chummed up to the Murdochs during the phone hacking scandal. He will get crushed,” a senior Conservative source told CNN.

Grant Shapps

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps. Phil Noble/Reuters

The transport secretary launched his bid for prime minister this weekend, describing himself as a “problem solver, with a proven record of delivery” in a post on Twitter.

Outlining his vision for the UK in an interview with The Sunday Times newspaper, Grant Shapps said that within his first 100 days in office he would produce an emergency budget to lower tax for “the most vulnerable” and give state support to firms with high levels of energy consumption.

“We have had two-and-a-half years of tactical government by an often distracted centre. This must end. We must be a strategic government, sober in its analysis, and not chasing the next headline,” the paper quoted Shapps as saying.

The MP for Welwyn Hatfield was elected in 2005 and has held several ministerial posts. He is also a former co-chair of the Conservative party.

Kemi Badenoch

Conservative MP Kemi Badenoch. Ben Cawthra/Shutterstock

The former equalities minister launched her leadership bid in an op-ed published by the Times of London newspaper, saying she wants a “strong but limited government focused on the essentials.”

Kemi Badenoch resigned from the government on Wednesday citing “issues” that had “come to light” and the way they had been handled.

“I’m putting myself forward in this leadership election because I want to tell the truth. It’s the truth that will set us free,” she wrote Saturday. Badenoch, who voted in favor of Brexit in 2016, added she would run on a “smart and nimble centre-right vision.”

Suella Braverman

Attorney General Suella Braverman. Wiktor Szymanowicz/Future Publishing/Getty Images

Last week, the attorney general called for Johnson to quit and said that she would join a leadership race to replace him, telling ITV “it would be the greatest honor.”

Launching her bid a few days later, Suella Braverman wrote in The Daily Telegraph: “I saw Brexit as the most important political decision of my life. My views are not triangulated or calibrated. They are as much a part of me as my DNA. I now realise that I cannot rely on others to take Conservatism forward.”

Braverman was elected as MP for Fareham in 2015.

Rehman Chishti

Conservative MP Rehman Chishti. rehmanchishti.com

Among the biggest outsiders in the race, the newly appointed Foreign Office minister threw his hat into the ring on Sunday.

Born in Pakistan, Rehman Chishti moved to the UK at the age of six, learning English at school in Gillingham, Kent, the area of southeastern England that he has represented as an MP since 2010. He went on to become the first in his family to go to university and received his law degree.

“It’s important to ensure that everyone who works hard, who’s determined, who perseveres, that they have a government that is on their side,” he said in a Facebook video announcing his candidacy, adding that he would ensure lower taxes and fresh ideas to improve people’s lives.

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Is a better Brexit actually possible? | The Week UK

Britain weathered political turmoil in 2022. But Brexit remains the ...

London CNN —

The past year has been one of the most tumultuous in modern British politics. The country has gone through three prime ministers, mourned the death of its longest-serving monarch, and is currently in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis that threatens to engulf the Conservative-voting middle classes.

The Prime Minister who seized the tiller, Rishi Sunak, spent the first weeks of his premiership trying to steady a rocky ship. His most recent predecessor, Liz Truss, had precipitated an almost unprecedented financial crisis with a reckless budget and was forced to resign after just six weeks; the previous occupant of 10 Downing Street, Boris Johnson, spent the final months of his premiership tarnishing the institution as he battled a series of damaging scandals.

Sunak’s pitch has been one of calm governance and sound economic policy that he hopes will narrow the huge polling gap between his Conservatives and the opposition Labour Party before the next general election, which must be held no later than January 2025.

But for all the carnage of 2022, one of the most consequential aspects of Britain’s new political reality has been barely discussed.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson walks back into 10 Downing Street in central London on July 7, 2022, after announcing his resignation as party leader. Daniel Leal/AFP/Getty Images

Brexit-in-full began on 1 January 2021, when the UK made the transition from a nation that was essentially a member of the EU in all but name, to a separate entity bound to the bloc by a thin trade deal.

The consequences of that hard split have already hit the British economy.

“The reality is that we increased supply-side barriers for British businesses looking to operate in the European market. So, for those businesses continuing to trade with the EU, those costs have increased, while some smaller businesses have just stopped working with the EU at all because it’s too complicated and expensive,” says Sam Lowe, a partner at Flint Global consulting agency.

The Office for Budget Responsibility confirmed earlier this year that both exports to and imports from the EU of goods and services have fallen since the full implementation of the Brexit deal, formally known as the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA). The OBR concluded “there is little in the data” since the Brexit deal was implemented to suggest that the assumption of a 15% reduction in trade was misplaced.

However abstract this might sound, the real-life impact has been vegetables left to rot and fish thrown back into the sea as British exporters miss the narrow windows to get their goods into the EU. From an import perspective, Brexit has made certain foods more expensive, exacerbating the cost-of-living crisis.

Brexit’s consequences are not just economic. The UK and EU are still butting heads over the Northern Ireland Protocol - a central component of the Brexit deal agreed in 2019.

For various reasons, the UK has not fully implemented the protocol, which has led to a breakdown in the Unionist and Republican power-sharing agreement, leaving Northern Ireland without a functioning devolved government since February. Given Northern Ireland’s recent history, these tensions leave the principality in a precarious and potentially dangerous situation.

Boris Johnson drives a Union flag-themed JCB, with the words "Get Brexit Done" inside the digger bucket, during a general election campaign event in Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, on December 10, 2019. Ben Stansall/AFP/Getty Images

Under normal circumstances, government and opposition would be rushing to fix something causing such economic and social damage. However, six years since Brits voted to leave the EU, Brexit remains still anything but normal.

“Both main parties still feel it suits them to not talk about Brexit in any real detail. The Conservative Party doesn’t see any benefit from getting into debates that highlight what isn’t working in a deal they negotiated and voted for,” says Raoul Ruparel, a former special adviser to the British government and leading expert on Brexit.

“As for Labour, they probably cannot win a general election if people think they secretly want to rejoin the EU. Any policy that looks soft on Brexit will leave them open to attacks,” he adds.

Labour leader Keir Starmer has put forward a five-point plan to make Brexit work. However, the plan makes perfectly clear that Labour has no intention to re-join the EU nor any of its satellite institutions.

While this upsets many Labour members, accusations of Europhilia and secret plots to reverse Brexit could wreck all the work Starmer has done to bring the party closer to power than at any point in the recent past. A key aspect of Johnson’s 2019 landslide victory was Brexit-supporting traditionally Labour voters backing the Conservatives in former Labour heartlands. Starmer, bluntly, needs those votes to win.

Labour Party leader Keir Starmer gives media interviews on the final day of the Labour Party conference on September 28, 2022 in Liverpool, England. Ian Forsyth/Getty Images

This is the predicament facing the leading lights of British politics as they prepare for the next election. Aspects of Brexit could be improved, compromises are there to be reached with Brussels. But no one wants to light the fuse on the most explosive political issue in recent memory for fear it blows up in their face.

The consequence of such inaction is, critics say, a country without a long-term sense of direction or purpose.

“We are still lacking a strategy of where we want to go post-Brexit as a country,” says Ruparel.

“Where do we see growth coming from? Will we remain closely tied to European markets or make a deliberate pivot to the wider world? What are our advantages? We can’t compete with the US and China on large-scale manufacturing, so do we position ourselves as a center for high-end research and innovation? This all feels undecided right now.”

Even if Britain’s political class has a sudden change of heart, some experts suspect that we are beyond the point that anything significant can be done to mitigate the long-term impact of Brexit.

“It’s the UK that’s dragged its feet on implementing the full Brexit deal because we know that the logistical difficulties caused by the new paperwork and checks make life harder for British consumers and businesses,” says Vicky Pryce, former joint head of the UK’s Government Economic Service.

“That suits the EU well because it means it can complain about the UK not doing its bit while also revealing exactly where the power lies in any future negotiation. This is simply hurting the UK more than the EU,” she adds.

What exactly those negotiations could be about is also unclear.

Britain's new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak delivers a speech outside Number 10 Downing Street on October 25, 2022. Hannah McKay/Reuters

“There’s remarkably little scope in the UK-EU trade deal for alterations,” says Anand Menon, director of the UK in a Changing Europe think tank. “They’d have to agree new deals in specific areas, which means more talks and compromise with Brussels. Which no UK politician will touch with a barge pole.”

One of the central claims that Brexit supporters made ahead of the vote in 2016 was that an independent UK would strike new trade deals and, free of EU rules and regulations, could make its economy more global and competitive.

The UK has signed new trade deals, most notably with Australia. But even the government’s own assessments predict it will have a negligible impact on GDP.

By contrast, the UK Office for Budget Responsibility, which produces economic forecasts for the government, expects Brexit to reduce Britain’s output by 4% over 15 years compared to if it had remained in the bloc. Exports and imports are projected to be around 15% lower in the long run.

Truss tried to make supply-side reforms through lower taxes for businesses. Sunak is trying to do so by scrapping regulations on banks and the UK’s services sector. Johnson’s big plan was to make huge investments in the regions of the UK that have been left behind, creating new economic activity.

Queen Elizabeth II waits in the Drawing Room before receiving newly elected leader of the Conservative party Liz Truss at Balmoral Castle for an audience where she will be invited to become Prime Minister and form a new government on September 6, 2022 in Aberdeen, Scotland. Jane Barlow/WPA Pool/Getty Images

The problem, as Lowe points out, with reforming your way to competitiveness, is that “every other country is trying to do exactly the same thing.”

Contrary to Boris Johnson’s 2019 election promise to “Get Brexit Done,” the UK’s departure from the EU continues to play a significant role in the politics of the country.

It might not have played a starring role in the political drama of this year, but it’s always there, an unresolved subplot rumbling away in the background.

Brexit is a slow-burn issue, and it is unlikely that the UK will fall off a cliff overnight because of its effects. But the downsides of Brexit are impacting more people with greater regularity as time goes on.

The question Sunak and Starmer must ask themselves is whether ignoring Brexit and its consequences until after the next election is worth the risk. Because there is a chance that in the two years between now and an election, things suddenly get a lot worse.

And if that happens, the public could be left wondering what the country’s top politicians were doing sticking their heads in the sand on arguably the most important issue facing their country today.

Britain's new prime minister: Rishi Sunak, rich ex-banker who will be ...

London CNN —

Just seven short weeks ago, it looked as if it might be all over for Rishi Sunak.

The former chancellor of the exchequer – the UK’s title for its chief finance minister – made a high-stakes gamble. He launched an attack that helped to end Boris Johnson’s premiership, put himself forward as his replacement, but ultimately lost to Liz Truss. Admitting defeat, he retreated to the parliamentary back benches.

But in a sign of just how unpredictable British politics has become, Sunak has returned triumphant from the political wilderness to replace Truss, whose premiership imploded last week.

Sunak was the only leadership hopeful to secure the support of 100 Conservative members of parliament, the necessary threshold set by party officials for potential candidates. He will become the first person of color to be British prime minister – and at the age of 42, he is also the youngest person to take the office in more than 200 years.

He was the last person standing after his rivals – Johnson and the Leader of the House of Commons Penny Mordaunt – fell by the wayside.

Speaking after being declared the new Conservative leader, Sunak said he was “honored and humbled” to become the next prime minister.

“It is the greatest privilege of my life to be able to serve the party I love, and to be able to give back to the country i owe so much to,” Sunak said.

“The United Kingdom is a great country, but there is no doubt we face a profound economic challenge,” he added. “We need stability and unity, and I will make it my utmost priority to bring our party and our country together.”

Sunak first publicly declared on Sunday morning that he would be standing in the contest. Other than that brief statement, he made no big pitch for the leadership this time round.

In the last contest, over the summer, he was widely seen as the more moderate of the two candidates. Compared to Truss, he took a less ideological line on matters like Brexit and the economy. (Unlike Truss, a remainer-turned hardline Brexiteer, Sunak voted for the UK to leave the European Union in the 2016 referendum.)

Like Truss, Sunak promised a tough approach to illegal immigration and vowed to expand the government’s controversial Rwanda immigration policy.

Sunak, whose parents came to the UK from East Africa in the 1960s, is of Indian descent. His father was a local doctor while his mother ran a pharmacy in southern England, something Sunak says gave him his desire to serve the public.

“British Indian is what I tick on the census, we have a category for it. I am thoroughly British, this is my home and my country, but my religious and cultural heritage is Indian, my wife is Indian. I am open about being a Hindu,” Sunak said in an interview with Business Standard in 2015.

He will be the first Hindu to become British prime minister, securing the position on Diwali, the festival of lights that marks one of the most important days of the Hindu calendar. Sunak himself made history in 2020 when he lit Diwali candles outside 11 Downing Street, the official residence of the UK chancellor.

He has faced challenges over his elite background, having studied at the exclusive Winchester College, Oxford and Stanford universities. He is known for his expensive taste in fashion and has worked for banks and hedge funds, including Goldman Sachs.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak makes a statement outside No. 10 Downing Street after taking office on Tuesday, October 25. Leon Neal/Getty Images Sunak and Boris Johnson watch as a sheep is sheared during a visit to a farm in North Yorkshire, England, in July 2019. At the time Johnson was running to lead Britain's Conservative Party and Sunak was a member of Parliament. Oli Scarff/Pool/Reuters Johnson, as Prime Minister, holds his first Cabinet meeting in London in July 2019. Johnson appointed Sunak, seen on the right, as chief secretary to the Treasury. Aaron Chown/Pool/AFP/Getty Images Sunak speaks in front of the words "Get Brexit Done" at the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester, England, in September 2019. He voted for the UK to leave the European Union in the 2016 referendum. Danny Lawson/PA Images/Getty Images Sunak speaks during a general election debate in Cardiff, Wales, in November 2019. Hannah McKay/Pool/Getty Images Sunak poses for a picture at the Treasury Office in London in March 2020. Johnson promoted Sunak to chancellor in 2020. Paul Grover/Shutterstock Sunak is seen outside 11 Downing Street in London before heading to the House of Commons to deliver his budget in March 2020. Victoria Jones/PA ImagesGetty Images From left, Sunak, Johnson and Dr. Jenny Harries speak about the coronavirus pandemic at a media briefing in London in March 2020. Sunak won popularity during the early weeks of the pandemic when he unveiled an extensive support plan for those unable to work during lockdown. Julian Simmonds/Daily Telegraph/PA/AP Johnson and Sunak visit a London pizza restaurant as it prepared to reopen in July 2020 when lockdown rules were eased. Heathcliff O'Malley/Pool/AFP/Getty Images Douglas Ross, leader of the Scottish Conservative Party, meets with Sunak at Wemyss Bay on the west coast of Scotland in August 2020. Andy Buchanan/AFP/Getty Images Sunak meets with local businesses during a visit to the Isle of Bute in Scotland in August 2020. Jeff J. Mitchell/Getty Images Sunak learns the art of handling clay to make plates during a visit to a pottery business in Stoke-on-Trent, England, in September 2020. Employees were returning to work after being furloughed. Andrew Fox/Pool/Getty Images Sunak is seen on Downing Street ahead of a Cabinet meeting in September 2020. Stefan Rousseau/PA Images/Getty Images In October 2020, customers at the Tib Street Tavern in Manchester watch Sunak announce that the government will pay two-thirds of staff wages in pubs, restaurants and other businesses if they are forced to close under new coronavirus restrictions. Danny Lawson/PA/Getty Images Sunak delivers a speech during the annual Conservative Party Conference in Manchester in October 2021. Toby Melville/Reuters Sunak and his wife, Akshata Murty, speak to Prince Charles during a reception at the British Museum in London in February 2022. Murty is the daughter of an Indian billionaire. Earlier this year, Sunak and Murty appeared on the Sunday Times Rich List of the UK's 250 wealthiest people . The newspaper estimated their joint net worth at £730 million ($826 million). Tristan Fewings/Getty Images Sunak launches his bid to become leader of the Conservative Party in July 2022. Hollie Adams/Bloomberg/Getty Images Sunak and Murty are seen with their daughters, Krishna and Anoushka, while campaigning in Grantham, England, in July 2022. Christopher Furlong/Getty Images In August 2022, Sunak visits his family's old business, Bassett Pharmacy, in Southampton, England. His parents came to the UK from East Africa in the 1960s. His father was a local doctor while his mother ran a pharmacy in southern England, something Sunak says gave him his desire to serve the public. Stefan Rousseau/Pool/Reuters Sunak and Liz Truss stand together on stage during the final Conservative Party Hustings event in London in August 2022. At the time, they were the final two contenders to become the country's next Prime Minister. Truss defeated Sunak with 81,326 votes to 60,399 among party members. When she announced her resignation weeks later, he became the frontrunner to replace her. Susannah Ireland/AFP/Getty Images Graham Brady — chairman of the 1922 Committee — announces October 24 that Sunak will become the new leader of the Conservative Party. Stefan Rousseau/PA/Getty Images Sunak waves in London after winning the Conservative Party leadership contest on October 24. David Cliff/AP King Charles III welcomes Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become prime minister on October 25. Aaron Chown/AP In pictures: UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak Prev Next

Sunak has also been scrutinized over the tax arrangements of his wife Akshata Murty, the daughter of an Indian billionaire.

Earlier this year, Sunak and Murty appeared on the Sunday Times Rich List of the UK’s 250 wealthiest people – the newspaper estimated their joint net worth at £730 million ($826 million).

Sunak’s election on Monday marks the pinnacle of what has been a speedy rise to power. He was first elected as an MP in 2015 and spent two years on the back benches before becoming a junior minister in Theresa May’s government. Johnson gave Sunak his first major government role, appointing him as chief secretary to the Treasury in 2019 and promoting him to chancellor in 2020.

Sunak has experience of economic crisis-fighting, having guided the UK through the Covid-19 pandemic, and positioned himself as the “sound finance” candidate.

During the pandemic, Sunak put in place measures worth £400 billion ($452 billion) aimed at boosting the economy, including a generous furlough scheme, business loans and discounts on eating in restaurants. But that stimulus came at a huge cost and left the government scrambling to find savings.

Sunak was an early critic of Truss’ economic plan, which was panned by investors, the International Monetary Fund and credit ratings agencies. While he also advocated for lower taxes, he said tax could only be cut once inflation is brought under control, which could take several years.

His warning over the summer that Truss’ unfunded tax cuts could spark panic in the financial markets turned out to be true. The British pound crashed to a record low against the US dollar when Truss and her Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng unveiled their plan. Prices of UK government bonds rose at the fastest pace ever, sending borrowing costs skyrocketing.

He also secured the most votes from MPs in the last leadership election – comfortably clearing the new threshold with 137 endorsements. Although Truss eventually won the decisive vote among grassroots members, Sunak was not far behind, gaining 43% of the vote.

Second chance

Johnson has made no secret of the fact that he believes Sunak betrayed him by resigning from his government, triggering his resignation on July 7 after a string of scandals made his position untenable.

Johnson’s downfall followed months of revelations of parties held in 10 Downing Street while the rest of the country was under Covid lockdown restrictions. Johnson himself was fined by the police, making him the first prime minister in history found to have broken the law in office.

For a long time, Sunak stood by Johnson – especially since he too was fined in the so-called Partygate scandal.

But he turned against him after Johnson was slow to act when his deputy chief whip responsible for party discipline, Chris Pincher, was accused of sexually assaulting two men at a party in early July. (Pincher later said he had “drunk far too much,” although has not directly addressed the allegations.)

Sunak’s shock resignation from Johnson’s cabinet over the Pincher scandal set into motion a series of high-profile resignations that led to Johnson’s demise – and ultimately, to his own rise to the Downing Street.

Sunak faces an enormous task. The UK is in the midst of a deep cost-of-living crisis and soaring inequality. Financial markets are still spooked after Truss’ disastrous economic policy missteps.

The Conservative party, already unpopular after 12 years in power, has plunged itself into a state of utter chaos over the past four months and is now well behind the opposition Labour party in opinion polls. The only comfort for Sunak is that he doesn’t have to call an election until January 2025.

Ivana Kottasová Luke Mcgee
Ivana Kottasová
Luke Mcgee

Windsor framework: has Rishi Sunak got Brexit done? | The Week UK

Rishi Sunak has hailed his Brexit deal with the EU as a “new way forward”, claiming the so-called “Windsor framework” unveiled yesterday represents a “decisive breakthrough” on the rules governing trade in Northern Ireland.

The widely expected backlash from Tory Eurosceptics has so far “failed to materialise”, said The Telegraph, with even Steve Baker, a diehard Brexiteer and member of the hardline European Research Group of Tory MPs, congratulating Sunak and claiming: “He’s done it.”

But does this deal really represent the end of seven long years of negotiations between the UK and EU and the promise made by multiple prime ministers during that time to “get Brexit done”?

What did the papers say?

“Yes, there may still be a devil in the details,” said The Sun, “but his new deal on Northern Ireland looks a big win.”

The paper congratulated Sunak, adding that “he may just have got Brexit done at last”.

Asking whether the deal represented a “light at the end of the (now-infamous) tunnel”, Politico said: “There are hopes stretching from the press pack of political journalists to Conservatives scarred from the Brexit battles of the past half decade that within a few weeks Westminster will never have to talk about ongoing Brexit negotiations again. Maybe.”

“We’ve been here before,” warned John Crace in The Guardian. First there was Theresa May’s Chequers agreement, then Boris Johnson’s “oven-ready” deal. Now Rishi Sunak’s Windsor framework, “the likeliest contender yet”, he said. “Not least because everyone is so fed up with Brexit – no one wants reminding of what a disaster it has been – that even the hardest of hardliners can’t be bothered to oppose it.”

The Windsor framework is “an acknowledgement of a central reality of Brexit”, said BBC political editor Chris Mason. “Northern Ireland continues to have a different relationship with the EU than the rest of the UK and for as long as governments at Westminster say ‘no’ to closer economic ties with Brussels, that different relationship is guaranteed.

“It is a relationship destined to be bespoke, challenging and awkward – juggling a project about borders, Brexit, with an open border between Northern Ireland and the Republic,” he said. “While many in Northern Ireland are comfortable with that, some unionists will probably never be.”

What next?

No. 10 will now wait for the all-important backing for the deal from the Democratic Unionist Party. Sunak has said he is “confident” his new arrangement addresses the DUP’s concerns as he travelled to Belfast this morning to sell it to the people of Northern Ireland.

Brexit deal: can Rishi Sunak win over the DUP? | The Week UK

Rishi Sunak has travelled to Northern Ireland today to start a weekend of talks aimed at pushing through a new agreement on the Northern Ireland Protocol.

The outline of a deal has reportedly been agreed with the EU, but the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) is yet to give its blessing. Its leadership insists that Northern Ireland must not be legally separate from the rest of the UK.

Sunak met leaders of both the DUP and Sinn Féin at a hotel near Belfast today in an attempt to secure their backing for his plan. Later, he will travel to Germany to discuss the revised protocol with other EU leaders.

In a sign that a deal is “imminent”, the EU summoned diplomats from its 27 member states to a briefing on the issue this morning, said The Guardian. James Cleverly, the foreign secretary, has also been holding talks with European Commission vice-president Maroš Šefčovič.

What did the papers say?

“Is a deal done? From what I hear, not quite,” the BBC’s Brussels correspondent Jessica Parker tweeted.

Two main “stumbling blocks” remain: the movement of goods, and how any disputes will be resolved – with or without the European Court of Justice (ECJ).

“All of a sudden 2023 feels like 2018,” said Finn McRedmond in The New Statesman. “Once again, the tricky constitutional status of Northern Ireland sits at the centre of the debate.”

Since Brexit negotiations began, the Irish border has played an outsized role. All sides committed to preserving cross-border trade and travel, but that principle set up a conflict between Unionists, who wanted equally free trade between Northern Ireland and Great Britain, and the EU, which wanted to protect its internal market from goods arriving from the UK.

The proposed solution was the Northern Ireland Protocol, agreed as part of the post-Brexit deal in December 2020. It introduced some checks for goods moving between Northern Ireland and Great Britain.

The deal now being discussed “is expected to include a settlement on an elimination of some checks on goods going from Great Britain to Northern Ireland and a new dispute resolution mechanism not involving the European court of justice (ECJ) in the first instance,” said The Guardian.

Photos: UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak | CNN

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak makes a statement outside No. 10 Downing Street after taking office on Tuesday, October 25.

Rishi Sunak is the United Kingdom's latest prime minister, replacing Liz Truss — the country's shortest-serving leader of all time.

Sunak is the first Hindu and the first person of color to lead the UK. At the age of 42, he is also the youngest person to take the office in more than 200 years.

The contest was staged after Truss quit as prime minister following a disastrous six-week term.

Sunak was first elected to Parliament in 2015, and he spent two years on the backbenches when Brexit dominated the political agenda. He subsequently became a junior minister in Theresa May's government.

It was Boris Johnson who gave Sunak his first major government role when he first appointed him as the chief secretary to the Treasury in 2019. Johnson also promoted Sunak to chancellor in 2020.

Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss are final candidates in race to succeed ...

London CNN —

Boris Johnson will be succeeded as prime minister of the United Kingdom by either Rishi Sunak or Liz Truss after the Conservative Party leadership race was on Wednesday narrowed down to the final two candidates.

Johnson resigned as party leader earlier this month after a series of scandals led to dozens of ministerial resignations. Ten Conservatives stood in the contest to replace him, and over five rounds of voting, members of parliament whittled those down to two.

Sunak won 137 votes and Truss got 113 votes in the final round, while Penny Mordaunt with 105 votes lost out.

Both of the final two candidates took to Twitter to comment on the result.

“Grateful that my colleagues have put their trust in me today. I will work night and day to deliver our message around the country,” tweeted Sunak.

For her part, Truss tweeted: “Thank you for putting your trust in me. I’m ready to hit the ground running from day one.”

Now about 160,000 rank-and-file members of the party will have their say, and in September the winner – and next prime minister – will be announced.

Both candidates who made it to the final two in the Conservative party leadership contest served in Johnson’s government, and could therefore be marred by the scandals that brought Johnson down.

The first was Johnson whipping his members of parliament to protect a political ally found to have breached lobbying rules, and ended with revelations that Johnson appointed as his deputy chief whip Chris Pincher, a man who’d been accused of sexual assault multiple times.

The best known scandal was “Partygate” in which Johnson and several political allies – including Sunak – were fined by police for breaching the government’s own Covid-19 restrictions. This made Johnson the first premier in history to be found guilty of having broken the law in office.

The task facing the final two candidates is enormous enough, with the UK suffering a cost-of-living crisis and the Conservative Party increasingly unpopular after 12 years in power. And as soon as the new leader takes over, the opposition Labour Party will be only too willing to remind whoever succeeds Johnson that they were part of that government.

On Wednesday, Johnson attended his final Prime Minister’s Questions session in the House of Commons. He boasted about his government’s response to the pandemic and his support of Ukraine in its defense against Russia.

“We’ve helped, I’ve helped, get this country through a pandemic and help save another country from barbarism. And frankly, that’s enough to be going on with. Mission largely accomplished,” Johnson said. “I want to thank everybody here and hasta la vista, baby.”

Video Ad Feedback 'Hasta la vista, baby': Boris Johnson bows out to lawmakers' applause 01:38 - Source: CNN

The final round of the leadership race took place amid a record-breaking heatwave, which sparked wildfires and highlighted the UK’s under-preparedness for the climate emergency as well as the need for urgent measures to curb carbon emissions.

Here is what you need to know about the two final candidates:

Sunak served as the UK's finance minister from 2020-2022. Leon Neal/Getty Images

Rishi Sunak

Sunak has been considered the frontrunner for a long time. He served as Johnson’s Chancellor of the Exchequer (finance minister) from 2020 to 2022, and gained a largely positive public profile after introducing popular measures during the coronavirus pandemic, such as the furlough scheme and discounts on eating in restaurants.

He has recently come under pressure over questions regarding the tax status of his wife, Akshata Murthy, a multi-millionaire who is domiciled in India.

Some Conservatives were worried that Sunak found this level of scrutiny hard, and are concerned he would buckle under the pressure of being prime minister.

Despite this, he has consistently led the pack among Conservative MPs in the first rounds of voting.

Polling of Conservative members can be difficult, especially at such tumultuous times, but in those that have taken place Sunak has consistently come second to Truss among party members.

Even if he did make it to power, he would have to overcome criticism from political enemies of all stripes. Opposition leaders would be quick to remind Sunak that he was fined at the same Partygate event as Johnson.

They will also ask why Sunak remained loyal to Johnson for so long, only resigning after the scandal involving Johnson’s chief whip, Chris Pincher.

Things get worse when you factor in Johnson loyalists, who believe that Sunak’s resignation was the moment Johnson’s premiership began to crumble.

So, while Sunak might be the frontrunner, he will be surrounded by enemies on all sides.

Truss is currently UK foreign secretary. Justin Tallis/AFP/Getty Images

Liz Truss

Truss also has a Johnson association problem. She is still serving as Johnson’s foreign secretary and will do so until he finally leaves office in September. She has stood by her leader throughout all of his scandals, justifying that fact she didn’t resign over the Pincher scandal because she was coordinating the UK’s response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

That explanation might wash with some, however Truss is also largely thought of by Conservatives as the Johnson continuation candidate. Among her chief endorsers are some of Johnson’s most loyal allies, which could make dissociating herself from the current PM tricky.

It will also be tricky to distance herself from Johnson’s policies. Truss, who voted for the UK to remain in the European Union, has become an arch-Brexiteer since the 2016 referendum.

Since Johnson has taken office, she’s been his trade secretary and his foreign secretary. As the former, she has tub-thumped as loudly as Johnson over each and every trade deal signed, even ones that were simply rollover deals from the UK’s time in the EU.

She has also been an ardent supporter of Johnson’s plan to rewrite a controversial part of the Brexit deal, the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Truss has spent much of her time in high office building a power base and is very popular among both MPs and the Conservative grassroots.

Sunak and Truss will now spend the summer campaigning to Conservative grassroot members before the victor is announced by the party on September 5.

After that, Johnson will resign to the Queen, whom his successor will then visit and be invited to form a government.