The first British Asian Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, accepted the historic defeat of the Conservative Party after ruling for over a decade.

This would bring Labour Party’s Keir Starmer to the fore, who ended the 14-year-long exile for his party with a landslide victory, securing 411 out of 680 seats.

As the isles prepare for a change of rule, here is a lookback at what might have gone wrong for the British-Indian Prime Minister.

What went wrong?

In an old interview that made the rounds some time ago, Sunak was heard saying, “I have friends who are aristocrats, I have friends who are upper-class, I have friends who are, you know, working-class,” Then he adds, “Well, not working-class!” 

It was statements like these, his background in finance, a degree from Oxford, and the tax structures of the country after he became the PM, may have taken him away from the general population of Britain.

Sunak’s life partner – Akshata Murthy, daughter of India’s IT business tycoon Narayan and Sudha Murthy — was marred by a tax controversy during his tenure.

Murthy allegedly avoided paying taxes on her income, or at best, bent the rules to avoid paying them, according to British media. 

Comparing that to, Starmer’s statement, “I hope working class families like mine could build their lives around hope,” may give an indication of what the UK was looking for to head his majesty’s government.

Sunak’s rise in UK politics

Son to immigrant parents, born in Southampton, Sunak graduated from Oxford University. He worked at Goldman Sachs and later partnered with the Hedge fund. 

With the fall of Lizz Truss and Borris Johnson, the Conservatives found its leader in Indian-British, suit-clad, youngest PM in decades – Sunak.

A leader who was praised in India among the Right-Wingers for his upfront ‘Hinduism’ and ‘adhering to his roots’ image, Sunak was not relatable to the Britons who were frustrated by the slew of taxes his regime brought.

The public dissatisfaction against Sunak was ever-growing and more apparent on digital platforms, where he faced a strong resistance from the netizens.

On his last day, Sunak’s post on X read, “I have given this job my all. But you have sent a clear message, and yours is the only judgement that matters.

“This is a difficult day, but I leave this job honoured to have been Prime Minister of the best country in the world.”

The responses below, if considered a micro-representation of what people thought, was self-explanatory of the disastrous outcome he faced in the UK general election.

A user commented on X, “Bye-bye Rishi, you won’t be missed,” while another wrote, “You ruined our party and country.”

Some users simply wrote, “Pay your taxes,” and “ ‘I have given this job my all’ No You gave very little And took everything you could.”

And that is how the richest man in the House of Commons, richer than King Charles, lost the title of ‘Prime Minister of the UK’.

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