After a turbulent ride, the UK has got another Prime Minister. He is none other than the formerchancellor and Chief Secretary to the Treasurer, Rishi Sunak. The response to this news has been mixed so far. While Indians are cheering up that one of their own will be ruling the UK, the racist and anti-India lobby has already started vile abusive propaganda against Sunak.
But that’s not what we’re going to discuss in this video. Rishi Sunak will be leading a country that is in crisis. The problems are many, inflation, the energy crisis, high bills, and of course Russia-Ukraine war. The list goes on. Let’s touch on the important problems of the UK, which will decide not only the fate of the UK but also the political future of Rishi Sunak.
First is the economy. UK’s economy is going through a disastrous phase for a long time now. Financial Times has reported that the UK economy contracted at its fastest pace in almost two years in October. What does that mean? It means the UK has entered into a recession. Not only that, S&P Global reported that UK’s business activity dropped to 21 months low in October amid political uncertainty.
Then there is inflation and high energy bills. Inflation in the UK is at a decade high. This is making things costlier for the country’s citizens. The problems for Uk doesn’t end here. IMF has projected economic growth of 0.3 percent for next year. This is not good news for Sunak. Although he said took a pledge to fix the mistakes of his predecessor, Liz Truss, and tackle the economic crisis, the road ahead for Sunak is not an easy one. His decisions will not only decide the fate of the country but will also have a long-lasting impact on his party. Rishi Sunak was not elected by the people. He was selected by his party members after Boris Johnson was rocked by numerous scandals. After Liz Truss was forced to step down, no one in the party showed interest given the country’s position.
Rishi Sunak has stepped in and vowed to solve the UK’s problems. If he fails, it will not only doom his political future but will also become complicated for his party to retain power in the upcoming elections.
Then there is one issue that is not being discussed on a large scale. It is the Scotland-Uk relationship. Scotland has a status as a country, but it is still part of Great Britain. Although Scotland is trying to become independent, the 2014 failed referendum put a break to the plans of activists. But the movement received momentum after Brexit. Amid the political turmoil in the UK along with inflation and energy crisis, Scotland’s Prime Minister is already making statements of independence from Great Britain. She not only said Scotland is a wealthy country with plenty of resources and renewable energy but also warned Sunak to not unleash another wave of austerity. How Sunak handles Scotland will be interesting to see as any wrong move could lead to devastating effects.
The challenges for Rishi Sunak are not easy to solve. His leadership will be tested, and we have to wait and see whether he can bring the country out of this crisis.
