- Read somewhere and rightly so that Britain no longer remains great or the kingdom remains united for that matter. The less said the better about the political fallouts over the last few months mirroring the upheavals which are anything but comforting to the citizens of the UK. The pandemic-induced economic distress and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict have severely ruptured the global supply chains across the world. The heat generated by these disruptions has taken a toll on most economies and as such, the UK administration is no exception to the vagaries of the downturn. Unfortunately, controversies surrounding imprudent fiscal policies also have essayed a bigger role in the present state of affairs afflicting that nation.
PC: Indermit Gill
- Needless to mention, the ongoing political turmoil brought about by the change of prime ministership in quick succession has created an atmosphere of uncertainty. As you are aware, the UK has just got its third prime minister in three months and its fifth in just over six years in the form of Rishi Sunak, an Indian-origin citizen. Undoubtedly, the individuals concerned, including Boris Johnson with party-gate and Liz Truss with a fiscal wrecking ball, are certainly stars of this shabby soap opera. Also, the ongoing drama reflects deep problems bogging the UK economy, which the Ukraine war has painfully aggravated. Critics say that the first nation to industrialise was also the first to deindustrialize. Not an easy time to sit on the hot seat, you see.
- Why? Because Britain’s productivity growth and wage growth have slowed in an unparalleled way. What all of this amounts to is daunting challenges for PM Rishi Sunak despite the widespread belief that he is much more competent than his predecessor. Yes, he has become the youngest UK PM in two centuries on the back of a meteoric political rise, including a lauded stint as the finance minister who steered the country through Covid. Of course, that he is a brown-skinned PIO is important symbolically, but equally important is that his party MPs selected him because they thought he is a non-idealogue and steady pair of hands. Despite the Fishy Rishi and Rishi Rich critiques in the UK popular press, he has got the job and is expected to deliver.
PC: Srishti Singh Sisodia
- Again, it’s perhaps the appearance of predictability and pragmatism, as much as the underwhelming alternatives, that got him the job. Indians around the world may be gloating over Rishi Sunak assuming the premiership, but in a world driven by geopolitical and geostrategic considerations, the roots of origin will have very little to come in the way of decision-making. Right now, his priority anyway should be to combatting recession and record inflation, and a rising tide of unpopularity for his party. In his first speech as PM yesterday, Sunak emphasized he is not daunted. Indeed, Sunak perhaps brings better credentials to the job, but the job itself has only gotten tougher. Hopefully, he will be able to steer the nation adroitly.
