Rishi Sunak : Needed A Transition From Unrecognised & Unsung Version Of Manmohan Singh To Barack Obama : How To Achieve It ?
Rajiv Upadhyay 
All those who understand the stagnant or even decaying British Economy , know it very well that no one could have nursed it back so fast , after Brexit, Covid and Ukraine war , as has been done by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak .
Inflation is down to half , Growth has returned , Permanent solution to refugee influx is set in by Rwanda plan . Immigration is down and even well paying international students have been driven away by banning family entry except for research students. Indian students for example have switched over to Germany in large number . But in view of highest immigrant entry in 2023 , some drastic steps were required and have been taken . Artificial Intelligence has rightly been chosen as the new growth engine for aging economy. Record number of health care workers were given Visa bringing some much needed relief to aging population .
The biggest factor for middle class anger was food inflation and mortgage rates which may finally come down as inflation has now been controlled.
Yet for all these impossible achievements , Rishi Sunak is not getting any credit and his popularity rating has instead nose dived to lowest levels .
Conservative party is a divided house . Four prime ministers leaving office controversially and last one almost disgracefully as a proven liar in parliament, open dissent and criticism by in disciplined , ignorant and incapable politicians like Suella Braverman and some time outbursts by angry Boris Johnson also contribute heavily in reducing the public trust in conservative party. People are yearning for a change and only a miracle can save conservative party.
So Rishi Sunak really had no chance of success . He got this job as all the worthwhile well established politician recognised it as an impossible situation , beyond their competence and they did not want to commit a political harakiri as proven by the fate of adventurous Liz Truss who lasted only forty five days in office and pound sank to record low and even the Queen died in her tenure !
One can try to explain it partially as sub conscious colonial British dislike for his much visible hindu Indian looks and background . Highly vocal muslims dislike his anti immigrant and pro Israel policies along with his hindu background. Khalistani Sikhs are not happy either .
But Labour Party’s Sadiq Khan has won election as London mayor for the record third term ! There are so many muslim mayors in Britain.
The example Rishi Sunak could study is Barack Obama who twice defeated the American Royalty ‘ Hilary Clinton’ in party and white republican candidates twice, for president’s post .
Barack Obama was a seasoned politician who had risen from ranks . He was a brilliant speaker and communicator . His achievements were much smaller than Rishi Sunak’s but people were able to identify with him and he exuded hope and confidence , even in the worst 2008 economic crisis . He was black and had a muslim name ( although a practicing christian ) in an America which had seen 9/11 attacks by Bin Laden in 2001. Yet just seven years after he won the election by a popular vote and won it again in 2012.
His being a lawyer helped in improving his communication skills and he chose brilliant economists as advisers . Rishi Sunak in contrast is more brilliant but is lonely at top . His investment banker back ground helps in economics but his team has no respected skilled orator who can explain the difficulty of task of economic recovery to British public . David Camron entry is late and he is not very effective now as public speaker . Boris Jonson destroyed him as well as Theresa May as PM by his opportunistic opposition to any settlement with European Union on Brexit which five years later has proven to be an economic disaster.
British public is unaware of the impact of stagnant labour productivity and lost economic competitiveness for at least ten years as old economy wells of Britain had become dry and Britain’s need for a new growth engine. It has to mend its fences with European Union and give up its old super power syndrome and accept the new reality . It need not have taken so much visible lead in Ukraine war and spoilt its ties with Russia so much .
Rishi Sunak and conservative party has nothing to lose now . Like Margret Thatcher , they should tell reality of Brtitain’s economy to public . Tell long term dangers of the professed populists policies of labour party . Even socially , NHS cannot be revived without money . UK is keeping labour wages low by inducting cheap immigrants as it has no other solution available .
It needs a Marc Antony !
It is neither easy nor really Rishi Sunak’s cup of tea .
But if Obama could over come his Economics handicap in 2008 crisis , why Sunak cannot find a brilliant orator to support and focus on uniting conservative party before elections next year .
A united conservative party , vocally and convincingly supporting economic policies is the only hope for Rishi Sunak.
