UK PM Rishi Sunak To Face Oppn On Day 1 In Parliament Amid Row Over Braverman's Appointment
The Labour Party and others are expected to intensify their demand for a snap election, which is not due until January 2025.
Rishi Sunak, who took charge as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom amid an economic turmoil, is set for a face off against opposition lawmakers on Wednesday during a Parliamentary session after weeks of political chaos, AFP reported.
The session comes after the 42-year-old Indian-origin investment banker-turned-politician vowed to "fix" the mistakes made by the previous Liz Truss government that triggered a domestic financial crisis.
The Parliamentary session is expected to be stormy, with Suella Braverman's reappointment as home secretary raising eyebrows among the Opposition. Braverman had quit just a few days back citing a breach of ministerial code and pointing fingers at Truss for the state of affairs in the country.
Sunak, the youngest British PM in 210 years and the first Hindu to occupy the post, kicked off his tenure by re-appointing a host of ministers from his predecessor's top team and sacking a dozen others.
Sunak retained Jeremy Hunt as chancellor of the exchequer after he stabilised the economic situation with his initial appointment nearly two weeks ago.
Other leaders who were retained included Truss's foreign, defence, trade and culture ministers. The new line-up "reflects a unified party and a cabinet with significant experience, ensuring that at this uncertain time there is continuity at the heart of government", a Downing Street source told AFP.
The cabinet which looks quite similar to the Truss is expected to hold an inaugural meeting today before Sunak heads to the House of Commons where he would answer first weekly "Prime Minister's Questions", when he will battle Labour leader Keir Starmer and other opposition lawmakers, reported news agency AFP.
The opposition leaders will build on weeks of chaos at the top of government reiterating demands for a general election following the selection -- by Conservative MPs -- of their third leader in two months.
"The Tories have crashed the economy, with low wages, high prices and a cost-of-living crisis," Starmer said on Tuesday, in a taste of the attack-lines to come. "The public needs a fresh start and a say on Britain's future."
Sunak begins his tenure as the new PM amid the country facing a series of problems. Markets and opposition parties are also keeping an eye over October 31 Halloween fiscal statement from Hunt expected to contain curbs on public spending to meet tens of billions of pounds in budget shortfalls. It will be accompanied by much-scrutinised independent assessments of the government's sums.
Labour and others are expected to keep demanding a snap election , which is not due until January 2025 at the latest, since Sunak is the second prime minister in succession without a direct mandate from the electorate.
Opposition parties have no way to force one, unless dozens of Conservative MPs agree, which appears unlikely as a flurry of polls show Labour with its largest lead in decades.
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