Kemi Badenoch
| Photo Credit: Reuters

London

Six British lawmakers have announced that they are running to lead the Conservative Party in a contest that will decide whether the Opposition party tacks to the right or steers toward the political centre ground.

Contenders include former Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and lawmaker Tom Tugendhat from the party’s centrist grouping. Former Home Secretary Priti Patel and ex-Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch have support from the right of the party.

Former Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick and veteran lawmaker Mel Stride also have secured the required support of 10 Conservative lawmakers before the deadline on Monday. Ms. Badenoch, who came third in the party’s last leadership election in 2022, was the early favourite. The Nigeria-raised lawmaker used language reminiscent of Conservative icon Margaret Thatcher, saying the party should lead “a renewal for capitalism” built around a smaller state.”

In the wake of the party’s devastating election defeat this month, which saw it lose votes to parties on both right and left, Conservatives are split between moderates who want to try to win back centrist voters and hard-liners who want tougher migration and law and order policies to regain political territory lost to the Reform U.K. party led by anti-immigration firebrand Nigel Farage.

Lucknow:

A Labour Party candidate’s landslide victory in the UK general elections sparked celebrations thousands of kilometres away in Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur and Gorakhpur.

Navendu Mishra, elected to the House of Commons for a second consecutive term from the Stockport constituency, was born in Kanpur in 1989. His mother’s paternal home is in Gorakhpur.

Mr Mishra’s maternal uncle Nilendar Pandey, a social worker and businessman who now lives in Lucknow, told PTI that some people in Gorakhpur, Lucknow and Kanpur celebrated his victory by distributing sweets and setting off crackers.

Mr Pandey said Mr Mishra left for the UK with his parents when he was four years old. His father was a marketing manager for Indian Petrochemicals Corporation Limited and moved to the UK after taking charge of a British company.

Mr Mishra grew up in the UK with his brother and a sister.

He entered politics after completing his studies in London and was elected to the House of Commons in the 2019 elections on a Labour Party ticket from Stockport.

It’s an honour to be officially nominated as the Labour candidate for Stockport constituency.

Since 2019, I have always put the priorities of local residents first. If re-elected, I will continue to work hard for Brinnington, Edgeley, Davenport, the Heatons and Reddish. pic.twitter.com/Ctv1CHn58F

— Navendu Mishra (@NavPMishra) June 5, 2024

Mr Pandey said Mr Mishra entered politics through the trade union movement.

Mr Mishra is very close to him, Mr Pandey said and added that his nephew called him after winning the election to seek his blessings.

Mr Pandey said, “He (Mishra) likes coming to India. He is always keen on doing something for his country.” “He visits India once every year or two and makes it a point to visit relatives from Gorakhpur to Delhi. He is a vegetarian and loves home-cooked food common in eastern Uttar Pradesh,” he said.

Praising his nephew, Pandey said, “You can guess his popularity by his victory margin. In the UK, where elections are won by margins of only 1,000-2,000 votes, Mishra won by about 16,000 votes.”

Mr Mishra secured 21,787 of the votes cast. His closest contender, Reform UK candidate Lynn Schofield, got 6,517 votes.

Mr Pandey said Mr Mishra returned to India for the first time after about seven years in the UK and spent time at the home of his maternal grandparents in Gorakhpur.

“Mishra used to fly kites and play cricket in the streets with the children of locals, including my two sons and daughter. My children are also ecstatic over his victory,” he added.

During a recent visit to India, Mr Mishra led a delegation to meet Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel. The delegation also met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in Delhi.

Following this, he spent time with his family in Delhi and Lucknow, Mr Pandey said.

Political experts claimed that Mr Mishra’s victory and his connection with India would strengthen bilateral relations and cultural, political and social ties between the two nations.

Mr Pandey said Mr Mishra had also planned to visit the Ram temple in Ayodhya but that programme did not materialise.

Ishwar Singh, an associate of Mr Pandey in Gorakhpur, told PTI, “Mishra was inspired to join politics and social service by his maternal uncle Nilendar Pandey.”

“When he visited Gorakhpur at a young age, he used to see the crowds gathering to meet Pandey and got inspired,” he added.

Mr Mishra’s paternal home in Kanpur’s Arya Nagar was also teeming with locals, gathered to congratulated the family on his second successive election victory.

Mr Mishra last visited his family home in Arya Nagar about two years ago.

On Friday, Keir Starmer became the UK’s new prime minister after his Labour Party secured a landslide victory in a general election in which weary voters inflicted a “sobering verdict” on Rishi Sunak-led Conservatives.

The Labour Party secured 412 seats in the 650-member House of Commons. Mr Sunak’s Conservatives won just 121 seats.

Discussing plans to invite his nephew to India, Mr Pandey said, “We have invited Mishra to come here soon and a welcome ceremony will be organised in Lucknow after his arrival.” 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Lucknow:

A Labour Party candidate’s landslide victory in the UK general elections sparked celebrations thousands of kilometres away in Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur and Gorakhpur.

Navendu Mishra, elected to the House of Commons for a second consecutive term from the Stockport constituency, was born in Kanpur in 1989. His mother’s paternal home is in Gorakhpur.

Mr Mishra’s maternal uncle Nilendar Pandey, a social worker and businessman who now lives in Lucknow, told PTI that some people in Gorakhpur, Lucknow and Kanpur celebrated his victory by distributing sweets and setting off crackers.

Mr Pandey said Mr Mishra left for the UK with his parents when he was four years old. His father was a marketing manager for Indian Petrochemicals Corporation Limited and moved to the UK after taking charge of a British company.

Mr Mishra grew up in the UK with his brother and a sister.

He entered politics after completing his studies in London and was elected to the House of Commons in the 2019 elections on a Labour Party ticket from Stockport.

It’s an honour to be officially nominated as the Labour candidate for Stockport constituency.

Since 2019, I have always put the priorities of local residents first. If re-elected, I will continue to work hard for Brinnington, Edgeley, Davenport, the Heatons and Reddish. pic.twitter.com/Ctv1CHn58F

— Navendu Mishra (@NavPMishra) June 5, 2024

Mr Pandey said Mr Mishra entered politics through the trade union movement.

Mr Mishra is very close to him, Mr Pandey said and added that his nephew called him after winning the election to seek his blessings.

Mr Pandey said, “He (Mishra) likes coming to India. He is always keen on doing something for his country.” “He visits India once every year or two and makes it a point to visit relatives from Gorakhpur to Delhi. He is a vegetarian and loves home-cooked food common in eastern Uttar Pradesh,” he said.

Praising his nephew, Pandey said, “You can guess his popularity by his victory margin. In the UK, where elections are won by margins of only 1,000-2,000 votes, Mishra won by about 16,000 votes.”

Mr Mishra secured 21,787 of the votes cast. His closest contender, Reform UK candidate Lynn Schofield, got 6,517 votes.

Mr Pandey said Mr Mishra returned to India for the first time after about seven years in the UK and spent time at the home of his maternal grandparents in Gorakhpur.

“Mishra used to fly kites and play cricket in the streets with the children of locals, including my two sons and daughter. My children are also ecstatic over his victory,” he added.

During a recent visit to India, Mr Mishra led a delegation to meet Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel. The delegation also met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in Delhi.

Following this, he spent time with his family in Delhi and Lucknow, Mr Pandey said.

Political experts claimed that Mr Mishra’s victory and his connection with India would strengthen bilateral relations and cultural, political and social ties between the two nations.

Mr Pandey said Mr Mishra had also planned to visit the Ram temple in Ayodhya but that programme did not materialise.

Ishwar Singh, an associate of Mr Pandey in Gorakhpur, told PTI, “Mishra was inspired to join politics and social service by his maternal uncle Nilendar Pandey.”

“When he visited Gorakhpur at a young age, he used to see the crowds gathering to meet Pandey and got inspired,” he added.

Mr Mishra’s paternal home in Kanpur’s Arya Nagar was also teeming with locals, gathered to congratulated the family on his second successive election victory.

Mr Mishra last visited his family home in Arya Nagar about two years ago.

On Friday, Keir Starmer became the UK’s new prime minister after his Labour Party secured a landslide victory in a general election in which weary voters inflicted a “sobering verdict” on Rishi Sunak-led Conservatives.

The Labour Party secured 412 seats in the 650-member House of Commons. Mr Sunak’s Conservatives won just 121 seats.

Discussing plans to invite his nephew to India, Mr Pandey said, “We have invited Mishra to come here soon and a welcome ceremony will be organised in Lucknow after his arrival.” 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Britain’s Conservative Party, thrashed by Labour at the general election, on Saturday faced the task of rebuilding as leading right wingers warned it could face extinction unless it starts listening to its core voters.

A record number of ex-prime minister Rishi Sunak’s top team and other prominent Tories lost their seats in Thursday’s electoral drubbing.

The anti-immigration Reform UK party led by Brexit firebrand Nigel Farage maximised the damage by splitting the right-wing vote and picking up former Tory supporters in key constituencies.

Even before campaigning had ended, one ex-minister had launched an excoriating attack on the party for not grasping that “our failure to unite the right would destroy us”.

Former interior minister Suella Braverman, seen as a leadership contender, correctly predicted the Tories would haemorrhage votes to Reform.

“Why? Because we failed to cut immigration or tax or deal with the net-zero and woke policies we have presided over for 14 years,” she wrote in the Daily Telegraph.

Conceding inevitable defeat, she called for a “searingly honest post-match analysis”, adding that it would “decide whether our party continues to exist at all”.

Major British political parties have seen dramatic downturns in their fortunes before.

In the years after World War I, a divided Liberal Party found itself supplanted by the Labour Party as the main opposition.

The party of 19th century political giant William Gladstone and World War I leader David Lloyd George never again regained its earlier status as a party of government.

‘New movement’

Other senior party voices to deliver an early diagnosis of the Conservatives’ current predicament included David Frost, chief Brexit negotiator under ex-PM Boris Johnson.

David Frost resigned from government in December 2021, citing Johnson’s tax hikes and net zero commitments among other complaints.

To revive traditional Conservative values and electability “after the cataclysm”, he called for the creation of a “new movement for “reformed conservatism”.

Sunak has said he will stay on as party leader until arrangements are put in place to choose a successor amid fears the party will now descend into bitter infighting.

Potential leadership candidates who managed to hang on to their seats include former home secretaries Braverman and Priti Patel. Former finance minister Jeremy Hunt became the first to rule himself out on Saturday telling GB News that “the time had passed”.

“There’s going to be a very immediate issue around how to relate to Nigel Farage,” Michael Kenny, director of the Bennett Institue for Public Policy at the University of Cambridge, told AFP.

He said there would be a push to find a leadership candidate who could unite the party but “not provide an opening to Farage”.

Others may look for someone potentially “more open to the idea of fusing with Reform”.

Kenny said what had been unusual about this election was the way the “battle for the soul of the party” had been started before a single vote was cast.

With the Conservatives scoring a record low of just 121 seats, handing Starmer’s government a majority in parliament of more than 170, some have predicted Labour could be in power for a generation.

‘Civil war’

However, Philip Cowley, professor of politics at Queen Mary University of London, cautioned against too much pessimism.

He said people had been “writing off” one or more of the main parties ever since the early 1960s, when it was claimed demographics meant Labour could never win again “only for them to do so in 1964”, he told AFP.

In 1992, after the Conservatives won their fourth consecutive victory, there was again “lots of talk about how Britain was now a one-party state, only for Labour to go on to win their greatest ever landslide five years later”, Cowley added.

More recently, he noted, commentators suggested the Conservatives could never win again during the tenures of former Labour leaders Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.

“And yet they did,” in 2010 with David Cameron.

London School of Economics political expert Tony Travers said the Conservative Party was the “world’s most durable political party” in many ways but that the result was still a “disaster”.

While “not a massive amount of difference” stood between Labour and the Conservatives on many policies, Labour had managed to look more centrist and moderate to the electorate, he added.

And divisions that had beset the party could prove a major obstacle to reinventing itself, Travers said.

“They were split after Brexit… there’s a civil war going on all the time, which is going to make their life difficult in the coming parliament.”

Offering his own analysis in the Daily Mail on Saturday, Tory ex-prime minister Boris Johnson highlighted that Labour’s landslide majority was built on fewer votes than it secured in 2019 when the Conservatives under Johnson won an 80-seat majority.

“We are capable of endless regeneration,” he said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor took a swipe at the BJP on Friday after the Labour Party in the UK secured a landslide victory in the general elections there, saying “ab ki baar, 400 paar” finally happened but in another country.

In the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections, BJP leaders had predicted that the party would get more than 370 seats while the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) would get over 400.

In the polls that concluded last month, the BJP won 240 seats and fell short of a majority but the NDA secured the mandate with 293 seats.

The Congress bagged 99 seats while the INDIA bloc got 234. Following the polls, two Independent MPs pledged support to the Congress, taking the INDIA bloc’s tally to 236.

In a post on X, Mr Tharoor said, “Finally ‘ab ki baar 400 paar’ happened — but in another country!”

Finally “ab ki baar 400 paar” happened — but in another country! pic.twitter.com/17CpIp9QRl

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) July 5, 2024

Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh said that, amid the tectonic transition in the UK, it was worth recalling the political events that unfolded in India a month ago.

“A self-declared non-biological person did not get elected by his party MPs as their leader but instead got himself anointed as the leader of an alliance. A circumvention of all parliamentary norms, all in a vain attempt to save face after being hugely diminished and damaged after the elections, and suffering a decisive personal, political and moral defeat,” Mr Ramesh said.

On Friday, Keir Starmer became the UK’s new Prime Minister and vowed to rebuild Britain, hours after his Labour Party secured a landslide victory in a general election in which the weary voters inflicted a “sobering verdict” on Rishi Sunak-led Conservatives.

The Labour Party secured 412 seats in the 650-member House of Commons, up 211 from the 2019 elections.

Mr Sunak’s Conservatives won just 121 seats, down 250 from 2019. While the Labour had a vote share of 33.7 per cent the Conservatives had 23.7 per cent. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump.
| Photo Credit: AP

Former U.S. President Donald Trump celebrated the election of fellow populist Nigel Farage to Britain’s parliament on Friday, neglecting to mention the new Prime Minister, Keir Starmer.

Mr. Farage’s anti-immigration Reform UK party won the third largest vote haul, but under Britain’s electoral system it took just five seats while Mr. Starmer’s Labour party swept into office with a landslide.

“Congratulations to Nigel Farage on his big WIN of a Parliament Seat Amid Reform UK Election Success. Nigel is a man who truly loves his Country!” Mr. Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

Mr. Farage is a long-standing ally of Mr. Trump, who has dubbed the divorced father-of-four “Mr Brexit” and previously said the British populist would have done a “great job” as the U.K.’s ambassador to Washington.

Mr. Farage is a champion of Brexit who was elected to parliament on his eighth attempt and has made no secret of his desire to take over the now-main opposition Conservative party, which was trounced at the polls by Labour.

“There is a massive gap on the centre-right of British politics and my job is to fill it,” he said after a comfortable win in Clacton, eastern England.

The result bucks a rightward trend among Britain’s closest allies, with the far-right National Rally in France eyeing power and Mr. Trump looking set for a return in the United States.

Mr. Farage’s win will likely embolden the attention-grabbing populist figurehead in his long-term aim of staging a “takeover” of the Conservatives.

Millions of their voters appeared to have already switched their support to Reform, handing the Tories one of their worst-ever results.

An initial exit poll caused a stir Thursday night after predicting Reform would secure 13 seats — far exceeding forecasts in the latter stages of the campaign that it would win just a handful.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria Starmer stand outside Downing Street 10, following the results of the election, in London, Britain, July 5, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Several world leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Friday congratulated Britain’s new Prime Minister Keir Starmer after his Labour Party stormed to power after 14 years.

The Labour Party led by Mr. Starmer won the U.K. general election in a landslide. He became the new Prime Minister after meeting King Charles III who asked him to form the next government. The Conservative Party led by Rishi Sunak lost 250 seats, its worst-ever defeat.

Mr. Modi offered “heartiest congratulations and best wishes” to Mr. Starmer on his remarkable victory.

“I look forward to our positive and constructive collaboration to further strengthen the India-U.K. Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in all areas, fostering mutual growth and prosperity,” Mr. Modi said.

Mr. Modi also thanked outgoing PM Sunak for his “admirable leadership of the U.K.”.

“Thank you @RishiSunak for your admirable leadership of the U.K., and your active contribution to deepen the ties between India and the U.K. during your term in office. Best wishes to you and your family for the future,” Mr. Modi said.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also congratulated Mr. Starmer on his “resounding” election victory. Albanese added that he was looking forward to working constructively with the incoming Labour government.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni congratulated Mr. Starmer on his election victory. “The state of relations between Italy and the United Kingdom is excellent and I am sure that we will continue to cultivate a strong and reliable collaborative relationship between our great Nations, in the interests of our citizens and in line with common strategic objectives,” she posted on X.

Prime Minister of Norway Jonas Gahr Støre offered his congratulations to Mr. Starmer and the Labour Party on the “historic election win”. “I’m looking forward to continuing our close cooperation between the UK and Norway, including on the energy transition, our common security and trade,” he said further.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau posted a photo of himself and Mr. Starmer on X as he congratulated him on a “historic” election victory. “Lots of work ahead to build a more progressive, fair future for people on both sides of the Atlantic. Let’s get to it, my friend,” Mr. Trudeau wrote.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy congratulated Mr. Starmer and the Labour Party in a post on X.

“Ukraine and the United Kingdom have been and will continue to be reliable allies through thick and thin. We will continue to defend and advance our common values of life, freedom, and a rules-based international order,” he said.

“I wish the incoming government every success both in domestic affairs and in solidifying the U.K.’s leadership on the world stage. I look forward to working closely together on strengthening the Ukraine-U.K. partnership and restoring international peace and security,” Mr. Zelenskyy added.

Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, in a congratulatory message to Mr. Stramer, said that he looked forward to working with the new government of the U.K. to strengthen long-standing Nepal-U.K. relations.

The EU on Friday congratulated Keir Starmer on Labour’s election win in Britain, with Brussels foreseeing warmer ties with London — though little scope to change existing post-Brexit arrangements.

European Council President Charles Michel called Starmer’s victory “historic”, and stressed the EU and Britain “are crucial partners”.

European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen added she looked forward to working with Mr. Starmer “in a constructive partnership to address common challenges and strengthen European security.”

Also Read | U.K. General Election 2024 highlights

Britain’s new Prime Minister has vowed to reduce trade frictions with the European Union, forge closer security arrangements — and relax travel restrictions for touring musicians.

But Mr. Starmer is also adamant his government will never reverse Brexit nor seek to be part of the European single market. His slogan is “Make Brexit Work”.

While that necessarily reduces the scope for better dealings, a more cooperative London will be greatly welcomed in Brussels, according to one EU official and one EU diplomat, both speaking on condition of anonymity.

A “return to internationalist policies” from London would be “refreshing”, the EU official said.

“If there is a different approach, one of cooperation and not with a hostile attitude, then things become easier — but not simpler,” the diplomat said.

They both warned all “easy” points of cooperation had already been hammered out and enshrined in a painstakingly negotiated 2020 EU-U.K. Trade and Cooperation Agreement and a 2023 Windsor Framework.

But even if the overall deal would not be changed, some aspects could have hard edges filed down, they and analysts said.

Defence cooperation

Those could include: easing some rules around plant and animal imports; Britain continually aligning with EU rules on chemicals and standards; opening up youth exchange programmes; and mutual recognition of professional qualifications.

One key area where both sides see a priority is close cooperation is defence.

Increased geopolitical instability, notably with Russia’s war in Ukraine, and the prospect of a new Donald Trump U.S. presidency — with fears America could retreat from its global security role — are fuelling that.

“It is in the interest of the EU and also the U.K.,” the EU diplomat said. “It would be interesting if the British come back on that issue with proposals.”

Mr. Michel said he would see Starmer on July 18 when Britain hosts a European Political Community summit “where we will discuss common challenges, including stability, security, energy and migration”.

Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas — tapped to become the EU’s next foreign policy chief — noted “the U.K.’s commitment to our common security” in her own congratulatory message to Mr. Starmer.

Mark Leonard, director of the European Council on Foreign Relations, a think tank, told AFP the surge in international volatility and the “big danger” of what a President Trump might do made shared defence “more relevant”.

Britain and 23 of the EU’s 27 member countries are in NATO, the usual forum for defence cooperation. But Mr. Trump during his 2017-2021 presidency called into question America’s commitment to the alliance.

No more ‘psychodrama’

While Britain under the Conservatives ended up taking a very arm’s-length stance with Brussels on ideological grounds of post-Brexit “sovereignty”, Starmer’s government is expected to shift to a “rational policy discussion” about U.K. interests, Leonard said.

The Tories, he said, grappled with a decades-long “psychodrama around Europe… which has destroyed the party”.

But Labour still has to bow to Britons’ general animosity to immigration, he cautioned.

“I think the only really, really strong red line is about returning to freedom of movement, because that’s the only clear signal which came out of the Brexit referendum,” he said.

Barry Colfer, director of research at the Institute of International and European Affairs, also said the result of the U.K. elections was not so prominent in Brussels’ thinking right now.

“What’s happening in France or even what’s happening in the U.S. I think plays a much more central role in the EU,” he said.

That said, European elites were “optimistic” about what Mr. Starmer’s stance would be, he added, anticipating a “generally more pragmatic, evidence-driven, constructive approach” with more diplomatic outreach than under his Tory predecessors.

“I can just see more enhanced cooperation in really obvious areas where it’s a win-win situation between the U.K. and the EU to cooperate: around climate change, and security, around scientific research, around digitalisation,” Mr. Colfer said.

Britain’s outgoing Conservative Party Prime Minister Rishi Sunak looks down as he makes a short speech outside 10 Downing Street before going to see King Charles III to tender his resignation in London, Friday, July 5, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

Rishi Sunak’s campaign to remain Britain’s Prime Minister showed a lack of political touch.

The Conservative Party’s problems were grave before Friday’s resounding election defeat but missteps by Britain’s richest Prime Minister contributed to its defeat.

Predecessors such as Tony Blair and Boris Johnson were more politically astute and able to connect with voters. As for Mr. Sunak, he didn’t have to call the election until Jan. 2025. He defied political advice by doing so in May — with Conservative support dwindling steadily amid an economic slump, ethics scandals and a revolving door of leaders over the last two years — and announced the July 4 date in the pouring rain.

Also Read | U.K. General Election 2024 highlights

What’s more, the Conservative Party didn’t appear ready for the campaign compared with Labour, and voters haven’t really felt the improvement in Britain’s economy yet.

“I have heard your anger, your disappointment, and I take responsibility for this loss,” Mr. Sunak said in his final speech as Prime Minister outside the residence at 10 Downing St.

Arguably, Mr. Sunak’s biggest blunder — one that prompted him to apologize and which many analysts think was the final death knell of the Conservative Party’s campaign — was his decision to leave early from the 80-year D-day commemorations in northern France on June 6.

Critics said the decision to skip the international event that closed the commemorations showed disrespect to the veterans and diminished the U.K.’s international standing. Other world leaders including President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy all were present. As was Keir Starmer, the U.K.’s new Prime Minister.

Born in 1980 in Southampton on England’s south coast to parents of Indian descent, Mr. Sunak became Britain’s first leader of color and the first Hindu to become Prime Minister. At 42, he was Britain’s youngest leader for more than 200 years.

A former hedge fund manager at Goldman Sachs who married into a billionaire Indian family, Mr. Sunak rose rapidly within Conservative ranks. Now 44, he become Treasury chief on the eve of the coronavirus pandemic. Within weeks, he had to unveil the biggest economic support package of any Chancellor of the Exchequer outside wartime, a package that many saw as saving millions of jobs.

Long a low-tax, small-state politician despite the high-spending nature of that package, Sunak had a record of idolizing former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Smooth, confident and at ease with the march of modern technology, Mr. Sunak was dubbed “Dishy Rishi” and quickly became one of the most trusted and popular faces within Johnson’s administration during the rigors of the pandemic.

Mr. Johnson was forced to quit in the summer of 2022 after being adjudged to have lied to Parliament over breaches of coronavirus lockdowns at his offices in Downing Street. As if that wasn’t bad enough, trust in the Conservatives tanked further when his successor Liz Truss backed a package of unfunded tax cuts that roiled financial markets and sent borrowing costs surging, particularly for homeowners already struggling with the most acute of cost of living crisis in decades. Her premiership was the shortest in the history of the U.K.

When Mr. Sunak replaced Ms. Truss, he pitched himself as a stable pair of hands. He constantly reminded voters that he had warned Conservative Party members about the recklessness of Ms. Truss’s economic plan when he challenged her to succeed Mr. Johnson. The day he replaced Truss after her traumatic 49-day premiership in Oct. 2022, the Conservatives were trailing Labour by around 30 percentage points.

As Treasury chief, Mr. Sunak was lauded for rolling out his COVID-19 job retention package that arguably saved millions of jobs. But that came at a cost, bringing the country’s tax burden to its highest level since the 1940s.

In his 21 months as Prime Minister, Mr. Sunak struggled to keep a lid on bitter divisions within his Conservative Party. One side wanted him to be much tougher on immigration and bolder in cutting taxes, while another urged him to move more to the center of politics, the space where, historically, British elections are won.

In his concession speech, Mr. Sunak said he would serve a full term in parliament until 2029, and that he would stay on as leader until the Conservative Party has elected a successor.

“It is important that, after 14 years in government, the Conservative Party rebuilds, but also that it takes up its crucial role in opposition professionally and effectively,” he said,

Many think he may be tempted to return to the U.S. in the years to come, perhaps to pursue his interest in artificial technology.

After his school years at Winchester College, one of Britain’s most expensive boarding schools, Mr. Sunak went to Oxford University to study politics, philosophy and economics — the degree of choice for future Prime Ministers. He then got an MBA at Stanford University, which proved to be a launchpad for his subsequent career as a hedge fund manager at Goldman Sachs in the U.S.

There, he met his wife, Akshata Murty, the daughter of the billionaire founder of Indian tech giant Infosys. They have two daughters. The couple are the wealthiest inhabitants yet of No. 10 Downing Street, according to the Sunday Times’ 2024 Rich List, with an estimated fortune of 651 million pounds ($815 million). They’re even richer than King Charles III, a level of wealth that many said left him out of touch with the daily problems of most people.

With his fortune secure, Mr. Sunak was elected to Parliament for the safe Tory seat of Richmond in Yorkshire in 2015. In Britain’s 2016 Brexit referendum, he supported leaving the European Union, a “leave” that came unexpectedly and that many Britons today regret.