Racism Not A Factor In Contest For Conservative Leadership, Says Rishi Sunak

Sunak has been trailing his opponent, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, in surveys during the leadership campaign that would conclude on September 5.

New Delhi: Former Chancellor Rishi Sunak on Sunday said that racism is not a factor in the decision of the Conservative Party membership to vote for the next party leader and successor of Boris Johnson as the British Prime Minister, news agency PTI reported. "I absolutely don't think that's a factor in anyone's decision. I just don't think that's right,” Sunak told ‘The Daily Telegraph’ in an interview. Notably, Sunak has been trailing his opponent, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, in surveys during the leadership campaign that would conclude on September 5.

His remarks come in the wake of an Indian-origin businessman and Conservative Party donor, Lord Rami Ranger, saying in a video that Britain would be seen as racist if Sunak loses the Tory leadership polls.

"I was selected as a member of Parliament in Richmond… Our members rightly put merit above everything else. I'm sure when they are considering this question, they are just figuring out who is the best person to be Prime Minister... Gender, ethnicity and everything else will have nothing to do with it," he said.

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He further said that he is "playing catch-up" to Liz Truss in the PM race as he continues his campaign tour to win over the votes of the Conservative Party members.

Talking about his disappointment over tax cuts being the major issue in the race, Sunak said, "I think I can build a country where the defining characteristics of our society are hard work and aspiration and hope, a society where a world-class education is the birth right of every child, a society where we lead the world and standards of decency and integrity, and a society where we're really proud of our history and our traditions, but we're really confident about our future. You don't hear as much about that because everyone wants to focus on a very narrow conversation."

Notably, during interactions with Tory members on the campaign trail, he was urged by the supporters not to give up even though he is the “underdog” in the race.

"I'm fighting for the values I believe in. I'm fighting for the things that I think are right for our country. And I'm not going to stop," he assured one of the supporters.