Rishi Sunak set to be UK’s next prime minister

Rishi Sunak is set to become the UK’s latest Prime Minister this week, replacing the country’s shortest-serving leader of all-time, Liz Truss.

He will become the third person to lead the country in seven weeks, and the fifth since 2016.

Sunak, 42, will become the first person of color to lead the UK, and the youngest to do so in more than 200 years.

It means yet more turnover at the heart of government – Boris Johnson and Truss both frantically reshuffled their Cabinets as they fought to save their jobs, and Sunak will be expected to bring in his own team this week.

But Sunak will face immediate calls for a general election from opposition parties, who will demand he seeks his own mandate in order to govern with any authority.

Britain’s King Charles III will be heading back to London from the private royal estate of Sandringham Monday afternoon, as had always been his plan, reported CNN.

CNN also reported that there has been no alteration to his schedule in light of this weekend’s events or Monday’s announcement. 

It is not clear whether the King will host audiences at Buckingham Palace on Monday to accept the resignation of outgoing Prime Minister Liz Truss and appoint her successor Rishi Sunak, or whether that will happen later in the week.

When will Rishi Sunak formally become Prime Minister?

Rishi Sunak was the only person formally nominated to become the Conservative leader, meaning the planned week-long contest no longer needed to continue.

Instead, Sunak will spend Monday preparing to take over at Downing Street.

That will happen after outgoing Prime Minister Liz Truss visits King Charles III to formally resign.

Charles will accept her resignation, and then welcome Sunak for a meeting and ask him to form a government.

We don’t yet know whether those meetings will take place on Monday or on Tuesday.

Rishi Sunak has given his first speech as Conservative Party leader, telling the party he is “humbled and honored” to win their support.

“I’d like to pay tribute to Liz Truss for her dedicated public service to the country,” he said of the outgoing leader. “She has led with dignity and grace through a time of great change.”

“The United Kingdom is a great country, but there is no doubt we face a profound economic challenge,” he added. “We need stability and unity, and I will make it my utmost priority to bring our party and our country together.”

“I pledge that I will serve you with integrity and humility … I will work day in, day out to deliver for the British people,” he concluded at the end of a very brief speech.

The contest was staged after Liz Truss quit as prime minister, becoming Britain’s shortest-serving leader ever following a disastrous term.