I was aware that Rishi's family was rich, but not quite this rich!
Why did he not declare the interests, and has he broken the Ministerial code? I doubt it was a genuine oversight.
Why would someone with so much money be interested in the 'job' of Chancellor? They either want to make themselves and their friends richer, or they're ored and need something to do to pass the time.
It doesn't seem to matter these days if he has broken the ministerial code. Unless Johnson wants an excuse to fire him (and to be honest he'd probably want him under his nose than plotting and scheming on the benches) he'll just keep on keeping on...
You'd think he'd be able to buy some trousers that fit...
"Akshata Murty, who married Sunak in 2009, is the daughter of one of India’s most successful entrepreneurs. Her father co-founded the technology giant Infosys"
I'm surprised it's taken this long for someone to think his family might have a couple of quid.
Why would someone with so much money be interested in the ‘job’ of Chancellor? They either want to make themselves and their friends richer, or they’re ored and need something to do to pass the time.
The second, I imagine. And if they make a mess of it, they can just drop it like a broken toy and move on to something else.
You'd think he could afford a better haircut.
He looks like Robbie Rotten....
Not sure exactly what you would need to do in this government to be actually fired. So far the only people who have left or resigned are those who have a slice of integrity.
I'm sure being an Indian billionaire won't have involved any corruption at any stage.
And I'm sure that trade deals with India won't involve handing lucrative contracts to his father in law and his friends.
Great, he's the best of the current crop of senior ministers by a country mile and we want to hound him out of office - FFS.
Be careful what you wish for.
And now he's about to put everyones council tax up by 5% to make sure the likes of him and his cronies don't suffer financially to pay for all this mess!
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-55083662
🤦🏻
Great, he’s as equally driven by naked self interest as the current crop of senior ministers and we want to hound them all out of office
FTFY
Just because he's competent doesn't make him good. If anything it should frighten us more.
Well his wife's family is filthy rich, his family doesn't seem particular rich, though Rishi's done pretty well for himself. His family is not poor by any stretch, but not multi millionaires. grandparents were immigrants and assume they were not millionaires when they immigrated, his parents seem like the usual stereotypical successful Indian middle class professionals - father was a GP and mother was a Pharmacist. Seems like immigrants who's kids did well in the UK and their kids similarly well. But Rishi's married very well for sure.
I Don't blame him for wanting to have his own career rather than living out of his father in law's pockets. I wouldn't want to live out of the in-laws pockets. Rishi is a successful person in his own right and these people are generally driven and not accustomed to sitting on their backsides doing nothing. Also in the Indian culture in the upper echelons of society rich people don't like it when their daughters marry lazy unsuccessful slobs who just want to sponge and would lose face in society if their daughter married someone not considered as successful, so Rishi will be keen and eager to work hard and prove himself worthy to his father in law of marrying his daughter. Unlikely he'll ever accumulate the billions of pounds of wealth to impress him, but a position of power in the top flight of British politics will do even better and save face for his father in law and improve his standing in society. Different people are driven by different things.
If Rishi has broken rules for not disclosing interests he should have, then the proper channels should be explored, but I can't help thinking that this is a non story. I'm pretty sure the opposition parties would be on top of this sort of stuff and would have exposed any wrong doings before now....unless they knew and were keeping a lid on until the timing is right to cause maximum damage.
I’m sure being an Indian billionaire won’t have involved any corruption at any stage.
I find that quite offensive TBH. Given the shithouse of corruption that is UK politics, do you really think it's fair and valid to make that comment about another country?
Certainly seems less than transparent about his finances
Great, he’s the best of the current crop of senior ministers by a country mile and we want to hound him out of office – FFS.
Be careful what you wish for.
He's the best? Someone whos broken ministerial code, that's where we are setting the bar for best?
Im not sure that any MP in the government gives 2 shits about the ministerial code, Patel, Sunak, Jenrick have all broken it so far, did I miss any?
He’s the best? Someone whos broken ministerial code, that’s where we are setting the bar for best?
Based on performance so far would you rather have him or Gove or Williams or Raab as chancellor?
The tories as a government aren't going anywhere soon . We need to hope that those that appear to be competent can stay in their jobs. Least worst options and all that.
I don't think either Comrade Corbyn or Sir Kier are digging down the back of the sofa to find their last 50p for the leccy meter.
Top line politics and money seem to go hand in hand no matter what the political party.
We need to hope that those that appear to be competent can stay in their jobs. Least worst options and all that.
Dunno about that. The last time we were governed by a highly competent, Conservative ideologue, it didn't end well for most of the people I know.
We're all still feeling the very real effects 30-odd years later.
Why would someone with so much money be interested in the ‘job’ of Chancellor? They either want to make themselves and their friends richer, or they’re bored and need something to do to pass the time.
The same reason they all do, it's usually one step away from PM.
As for why wealthy people go into politics It's partly ego and the attraction of power, some probably think they're doing it for 'the people', a lot of people who were born Wealthy still think they're self-made, Mummy and Daddy didn't give them a hand out! Well, after that paid for their expensive Networking / Education, if only we could all roll up our sleeves like they did, we could be trust fund managers too. Anyway, Class war rant over...
Just because he's not "English Old Money" don't let that fool you, he's Winchester Collage - Oxford - Investment Fund - Politics. He's there, in part, on behalf of his mate's to protect the status quo.
A better question is possibly not the Wealth of his Wife or her Family, he can simply say just that "it's my Wife's money". No a better question is how he was selected for William Hague's old seat, one of the safest Tory seats in the UK just before the 2015 election despite it being his first role in politics, and then went from Backbencher to Chancellor in 5 years.
So, Hedge Fund Manager, who joins the Tories pretty much out of the blue, never been a councillor etc and given one of the safest seats in the Country, campaigned to Leave, Given one of the most important Jobs in British Politics when he was barely 40 and 5 years into his career and was being floated at the next PM almost the moment he got his Mug on the TV.
He's somebodies Man isn't he?
The tories as a government aren’t going anywhere soon . We need to hope that those that appear to be competent can stay in their jobs. Least worst options and all that.
Anyone competent or ethical had the whip removed or quit. The tory party is a complete shit show, they are all much of a muchness to me. I dont see what Rishi has done that stands out as exemplary or above the others. He hasn't said anything quite as stupid as your list, but he hasn't been in government as long, give him time. As PerchyPanther said, it's probably best that they are all completely useless or else we'd be in real trouble.
And now he’s about to put everyones council tax up by 5% to make sure the likes of him and his cronies don’t suffer financially to pay for all this mess!
I work with Public sector and the impact that covid has had on many a budget is huge and not to be underestimated. I don't have an issue personally with paying an extra £70 although I appreciate that it'll be hard for some/some people will.
Council tax is collected by the LA not Central Gov.
I find that quite offensive TBH. Given the shithouse of corruption that is UK politics, do you really think it’s fair and valid to make that comment about another country?
Yes. Our country is also corrupt, well done. Have you ever been to India? I worked there for a bit.
the-muffin-man
Full MemberI don’t think either Comrade Corbyn or Sir Kier are digging down the back of the sofa to find their last 50p for the leccy meter.
Nothing wrong with having money. But you have to disclose it. That's the point here
Great, he’s the best of the current crop of senior ministers by a country mile
To be fair, it's a very, *very* low bar. He is moderately competent at best, below average at worst.
Not sure exactly what you would need to do in this government to be actually fired. So far the only people who have left or resigned are those who have a slice of integrity.
I think you answered your own question there.
I find that quite offensive TBH.
Oh yeah, plus one. That may reflect your own experiences but it came across very badly
This is speaking as someone who thinks anyone who becomes a billionaire wherever they're from has probably done all sorts of unethical stuff.
But in India, definitely. I used to read the Times of India every day and even the level of stuff that gets uncovered is astonishing. And then there's the day to day stuff you see.
Read a global corruption index if you think I'm just being xenophobic.
I dont see what Rishi has done that stands out as exemplary or above the others.
The financial support available during the pandemic? Care to compare and contrast that with test and trace etc.?
Ah yes the money that he appeared to be giving away personally.
https://twitter.com/RishiSunak/status/1279876376305242113?s=19
oldtennisshoes
Full MemberThe financial support available during the pandemic?
Which has been sporadically delivered with poor notice, and left entire sectors and groups of workers unsupported? And which is literally just a policy that he saw other countries doing and copied?
Don't get me wrong, it's been better than we might have expected but it's hardly impressive, to just reuse a proven policy from elsewhere except for adding issues and delivering it poorly.
The financial support available during the pandemic? Care to compare and contrast that with test and trace etc.?
Again, setting the bar extremely low here. Well done Rishi for turning up and down some semblance of a job.
I dont see what Rishi has done that stands out as exemplary or above the others.
Nothing really, he takes his lead from Johnson anyway.
They had their roles all mapped out, Boris got to channel his poundshop Churchill, delivering the worst news in a way they would unite us against a common foe and all that shit. The problem is that the Tories have been working to divide us for decades. There's no such thing as society after all? That's not to say people didn't rally around and lots of people did amazing things for others, but they didn't do it because Boris told them to, in fact, most wouldn't piss on him if he were on fire.
Then, when things looked their absolute worst, Rishi stepped in, smiled at the camera and announced the original Furlough scheme, and ever since, when things have gone wrong, he's been the one to give the 'good news' even if it's been less and less good.
Even now, when he announces he's going to freeze the pay of Public Sector workers, he does it in a way that a surprisingly number of people agree with, even here on STW a virtual socialist nirvana, he's not a clear cut condemnation, a lot of people who've been hurt financially by Covid, or fear they might be don't mind non-NHS workers having a pay freeze, only a few short years after the last decade long one.
He's doing a much better job of being electable than Johnson. A lot of things can go wrong in Politics, but I wouldn't be amazed if it's Rishi v Starmer in May '24.
He just looked good 'cos he was stood next to Boris and Hancock.
Still a Tory scumbag.
This is speaking as someone who thinks anyone who becomes a billionaire wherever they’re from has probably done all sorts of unethical stuff.
I'd go further and say being a billionaire is inherently unethical irrespective of what they've done to achieve it. In any modern developed society which claims to be interested in fair competition and opportunity billionaires act directly against that. They're economic parasites basically.
Some folk are never happy.
I'm just glad it wasn't labour in power during this inflicted hard time or we'd all be properly screwed.
He's doing a pretty good job imo and what code has he been proven to have broken exactly ?.
wow, this guardian article could have been written years ago. when he first came to prominence, a quick google / wiki and its clear he's married into wealth / Infosis.
read the article and a few extra details emerge.
in terms of answering the Ops question "Why did he not declare the interests?"
The paragraph under his pictures answers that..
The Treasury said all the proper procedures for declaring interests had been followed, and that decisions about what to declare were not taken by ministers themselves but by civil servants and independent advisers.
pretty sure he'll have declared everything and the CS/IA submitted the details.
definately a non story to me..
I’m just glad it wasn’t labour in power during this inflicted hard time or we’d all be properly screwed.
Haaaaaaa!
I’d go further and say being a billionaire is inherently unethical irrespective of what they’ve done to achieve it.
Yup, agreed.
Yeah not overly bothered about the rights to Jamie Oliver's restaurant in Mumbai but anyone who's ever been near a public sector IT outsource knows Infosys has HUUUUUUUUUUUGE potential for conflict of interest (it's not all Serco). The fact that this is not declared seems deliberately opaque given the shape, size and influence of these public sector contracts.
wow, this guardian article could have been written years ago. when he first came to prominence
Some might say he came to prominence in, er ooohh, about February 2020 and we've all been distracted by dead cats and squirrels since then (but maybe you're taking the pee - dunno).
Why would someone with so much money be interested in the ‘job’ of Chancellor?
being either an MP and/or an minister are pretty fickle career choices. MPs have to be ready to lose their livelihood every few years on the whim of the electorate and ministers seem to have had pretty insecure tenure within government too of late.
althoufh MPs and ministers are well paid roles theyre not typically a career choice for people who need the money.
Some folk are never happy.
I’m just glad it wasn’t labour in power during this inflicted hard time or we’d all be properly screwed.
Nah, now I might argue about a Corbyn / Starmer or left v Centre Labour party and how they'd deal with it, but that's it.
I remember the very worst days of the credit crunch, days when it looked like the it was the end for the whole Western Economy and was one of the few times in History the US was actually looking to us for advice. Brown, unlike Johnson with Covid was able to accept the scale of the problem for what it was act accordingly.
He got hung out to dry for it, because the US Sub-Prime scam happened on his watch, but his actions at the height of the crisis not only saved the UK bank industry from bankruptcy, but in directly the USs too. The austerity that came after was pure Tory doctrine, and the reason (along with the B word) why we're going into the financial fall out of Covid from such a poor position.
Great, he’s the best of the current crop of senior ministers by a country mile and we want to hound him out of office – FFS.
Be careful what you wish for.
+1
He's a stand out by a mile in the Tory Party, admitedly the standard is quite low eg David 'thick as mince' Davies and Failing Grayling etc....
Whilst the emergency funding wasn't perfect, the furlough scheme was pretty radical and rolled out extremely quickly and pretty much achieved its aims; which given the circumstances I'd say was a big success. Governments don't normally move quickly on anything, so this was pretty impressive action esp as it involved millions of people and not just under writing a few banks (2008 crash).
decisions about what to declare were not taken by ministers themselves but by civil servants and independent advisers
Chortle. They'll do what they are told, or are moved on.
he best of the current crop of senior ministers by a country mile
Not really. He can deliver a pre-prepared speech very well... that's about it. He's a car crash in interviews, and every paper to come out of the treasury has been a mess since he's been chancellor. When the government has had to cave and delivery help due to covid, he tends to get to deliver the good news... and that's worked in his favour... up 'till now.
I remember the very worst days of the credit crunch, days when it looked like the it was the end for the whole Western Economy and was one of the few times in History the US was actually looking to us for advice. Brown, unlike Johnson with Covid was able to accept the scale of the problem for what it was act accordingly.
See, I remember it differently, Brown and Darling acted decively and moved quickly to capitalise the banks and lead a global effort to do so internationally. They averted a complete disaster.