MP to PM in 7 Years: Tracing Rishi Sunak's Meteoric Rise to 10 Downing Street

A glance at Sunak's meteoric journey from being an MP to the chancellor to now becoming the UK's first Hindu PM.

Rishi Sunak is Britain's first Indian-origin, first non-white prime minister

Photo: Altered by Chetan Bhakuni/The Quint

Rishi Sunak was appointed as Britain's first Indian-origin prime minister on Tuesday, 25 October, a day after Conservative Party MP Penny Mordaunt withdrew from the leadership race, clearing the way for the former chancellor to rise as the latest occupant of 10 Downing Street.

Sunak succeeds Liz Truss, who resigned last week after a series of economic missteps that led to severe criticism of her government.

Sunak's march to the uppermost echelons of British politics has been the quickest in the modern era, with only seven years between the former hedge fund manager's election as a member of parliament and his appointment as the prime minister.

Let's cast a glance on his rocky journey from being an MP, to the chancellor of the exchequer, to now being the UK's first non-white prime minister.

Snapshot of Rishi Sunak's Political Journey 

• 2015: Sunak gets elected as a Conservative MP for Richmond, Yorkshire

• 2018: Theresa May appoints Sunak as the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Local Government, giving him his first ministerial post

• 2019: Endorses Boris Johnson as the conservative leader, after May's resignation. Boris appoints the India-origin politician as Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

• 2020: Promoted to the post of Chancellor of the Exchequer in 2020, amid the COVID-19 health crisis

• July 2022: Resigns from Johnson's cabinet, citing "improper and an incompetent government"

• September 2022: Loses Tory leadership contest to Liz Truss

• October 2022: Becomes first-ever non-white British PM after a tumultuous leadership contest, spurred by first Johnson and then Liz Truss's resignation as PM

2015 - 2021: From MP to Appointment as Chancellor 

The politician, born into an Indian-origin family from Southampton, was elected the Conservative MP for Richmond, Yorkshire in 2015.

His sustained advocacy for Brexit and support for fiscal conservatism defined his ascent in the Tory party. In 2018, Theresa May gave Sunak his first ministerial job, making him a minister of housing, communities and local government.

In 2019, Sunak endorsed Boris Johnson for the post of PM, and went on to serve as the Chief Secretary to the Treasury before being promoted to the post as the chancellor of the exchequer in 2020.

This made him the first minister of Indian-origin to hold one of the highest offices in the British government, and to many Tory MPs, Sunak became the chancellor who nursed the United Kingdom through COVID-19.

July 2022: Resignation From Johnson Cabinet

In the first week of July 2022, Sunak resigned from the Cabinet, leading to a spate of exits that ended with Johnson's resignation

"I am sad to be leaving government but I have reluctantly come to the conclusion that we cannot continue like this," read Sunak's resignation letter.

In his letter, he cited an "improper and an incompetent government" as his reason for quitting. He also highlighted his differences of opinion with the prime minister over the economic management in the country.

Analysts, however, said that this might have indeed been the former chancellor's ploy to become the next British prime minister.

September 2022: Losing to Truss

As discontent within his Cabinet mounted amid the Partygate scandal, followed by a flurry of noteworthy resignations, Johnson announced his resignation as the prime minister and the Conservative Party leader in July.

The move triggered a leadership election for a new Tory leader, who would go on to become the new premier. Sunak and Liz Truss emerged as the top names in the contest.

Consequently, in an election that recorded a total turnout of 82.6 percent, Truss defeated Sunak, garnering 81,326 Tory votes, compared to his share of 60,399 votes.

Soon after coming to power, Truss and  her chancellor of the exchequer, Kwasi Kwarteng announced extra borrowing for tax cuts, they sacked the Treasury’s top bureaucrat, and insisted that they will continue on the same path despite a hostile market reaction.

This was all a part of the new Conservative government's "Growth Plan."

Following the announcement, the pound collapsed and the London stock market, Financial Times Stock Exchange (FTSE), went into free fall.

Sunak, who had predicted the impact of Truss' proposed economic plan during the leadership campaign, proved to be prescient.

October 2022: Truss' Resignation & Sunak's Second Chance

After just 45 days in office, Truss tendered her resignation amid the economic and political upheaval, becoming the shortest-serving prime minister in UK history.

“This morning I met the chairman of the 1922 Committee, Sir Graham Brady. We’ve agreed that there will be a leadership election to be completed within the next week. This will ensure that we remain on behalf to deliver our fiscal plans and maintain our country’s economic stability and national security. I will remain as prime minister until a successor has been chosen," Truss announced on 20 October.

The events led to Sunak once again cementing his position as the favourite Tory to take charge of 10 Downing Street, with nearly 140 Conservative Party MPs offering him support.

Other frontrunners included Penny Mordaunt and former Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

24 October 2022: Johnson Drops Out of Race, Mordaunt Follows

Just three days after her resignation, amid the speculation surrounding the new leader, Johnson indicated that he will not run in the leadership contest of the Conservative Party, clearing the path for Rishi Sunak to become the next prime minister of the country.

Johnson bowed out after after recognising he would not lead “a united party in parliament.”

On 24 October, Sunak's only remaining rival, former defence secretary Penny Mordaunt, also exited the race.

In a statement on Twitter, Mordaunt said, "Despite the compressed tímetable for the leadership contest it is clear that colleagues feel we need certainty today."

The resignation confirmed Sunak's position as the next PM, even as the UK drew the curtain in one of the most eventful leadership contests in its modern history.

25 October 2022: King Charles Installs Sunak as Prime Minister

Rishi Sunak was installed as the United Kingdom's prime minister by King Charles III on 25 October, as the Conservative Party leader met the monarch at Buckingham Palace.

In his first address to the nation as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Sunak said "mistakes" were made by his predecessor, Truss, and that he had been "elected to fix those mistakes."

"The government I lead will not leave the next generation, your children and grandchildren, with a debt to settle that we were too weak to pay ourselves. I will unite our country not with words, but with action. I will work day in and day out to deliver for you."

Rishi Sunak, at 10 Downing Street

Sunak takes on the role at a time when the country is staring at a deep economic crisis. He is expected to make tough and possibly unpopular moves on taxation and public spending.