Who is Rishi Sunak? 5 things to know about Britain’s next prime minister

LONDON — Former finance minister Rishi Sunak has been chosen to replace Liz Truss as the prime minister of the United Kingdom.

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Sunak won the race Monday, and as the third prime minister of the United Kingdom this year, will be tasked with stabilizing the United Kingdom at a time of economic and political turbulence, The Associated Press reported.

Here are five things to know about Sunak:

Early life

Sunak is the son of immigrants of Indian origin who came to the United Kingdom from east Africa, BBC reported. Sunak was born in Southampton in 1980, where his father was a doctor, and his mother ran a pharmacy. Sunak will be the first person of color to become British prime minister, CNN reported.

Sunak studied politics, philosophy and economics at Oxford University, and was a Fulbright scholar at Stanford University, where he earned an MBA.

Early political career and Brexit

Sunak was first elected to parliament in 2015 as a representative for Richmond (Yorks). During his first two years in Parliament, Sunak supported leaving the European Union under “Brexit,” CNN reported. While campaigning for Brexit he also pushed for “free ports,” where goods could be imported and exported tax-free, to encourage trade, BBC reported.

Finance chancellor

Sunak was given his first major role in the U.K. government in 2019, when Boris Johnson appointed him as chief secretary to the treasury, CNN reported. In 2020, Johnson named him chancellor of the exchequer. In that role, Sunak oversaw Johnson’s economic plan during COVID-19, and was in charge of financial aid and furlough payments during the lockdown in the United Kingdom, BBC reported.

Resignation

Sunak resigned from Boris Johnson’s administration over the summer, citing a “fundamentally different” economic approach to dealing with the country’s cost-of-living crisis, USA Today reported. After the “Partygate” scandal took down Johnson, Sunak’s reputation was also damaged and he became rivals with the former prime minister, CNN reported.

Personal life

Sunak is married and has two daughters, according to his government biography. He also told a group of children in 2016 that as a child he wanted to grow up to be a Jedi Knight, BBC reported.

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Photos: Rishi Sunak becomes British PM after meeting with King Charles III British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak makes a statement after taking office outside No. 10 Downing St. on October 25, 2022, in London. (Leon Neal/Getty Images)

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