He’s a prime minister of many firsts – but political commentator shahedezaydi argues Rishi Sunak’s appointment as PM must be interrogated as much as celebrated.
They say things move fast in the world of politics, but 2022 has taken speed to a whole new level. The UK now has its third prime minister this year in former chancellorHis appointment to high office has been heralded by many as a sign of progressiveness. At 42, Sunak is the youngest modern Prime Minister and the first person of colour to take office.
But as some celebrate this diversity in office, others are asking: is it really enough to celebrate? Much of the conversation happening aroundfocuses on his race, religion, and identity, rather than his policies and previous stint in Boris Johnson’s cabinet. And so, it seems to me we’ve found ourselves in yet another cycle of representation politics: where diverse representation is celebrated at the surface level whilst political concerns are suspended.
Rishi Sunak has spoken often about being the child of Indian migrants. He was born in Southampton to parents of Indian origin who emigrated to the UK from east Africa. One of the tenets of his leadership race was a video in which he said his family gave him ‘opportunities they could only dream of.’ These opportunities included attending Winchester College, a private school with fees in the thousands, an education that saw him go on to attend Oxford and Stanford University.
Representation can, of course, be a reason to celebrate– but surely the question to ask is: who is Rishi Sunak really representing? Just so you know, whilst we may receive a commission or other compensation from the links on this website, we never allow this to influence product selections -