Goodbye then, says Britain to Rishi Sunak. We’ll see you on the other side – of the parliamentary benches, that is. You led the UK government for 22 months, as the country’s first prime minister of Asian heritage, a man whose Hindu parents came from East Africa.
New Prime Minister Keir Starmer noted the significance of Mr Sunak’s premiership in his first address outside 10 Downing Street: “His achievement as the first British-Asian prime minister of our country, the extra effort that that will have required, should not be underestimated by anyone.”
The first MP of Asian heritage was Dadabhai Naoroji, elected in 1892 as the Liberal MP for Central Finsbury with a majority of three votes. It took a further 130 years before Mr Sunak’s election put him into a prime ministerial club of “firsts” that is small but notable: the first woman (Margaret Thatcher), the first of Jewish heritage (Benjamin Disraeli), the first from a working-class background (Ramsay MacDonald) and now Mr Starmer, the first to admit having no religion.
When Mr Sunak took office, I and many others noted that, given his background, it was a significant moment. But the marked lesson of his premiership is that judging a moment’s significance means also being able to distinguish between the individual and the system.
Did the individual change the system at all? Yes and no. The image of a proudly Hindu prime minister celebrating Diwali was embraced without widespread objection, suggesting equality. But across society, inequality – with respect to race, class or gender – didn’t appear to decrease under Mr Sunak in any noticeable way.
Was hatred – for example, anti-Semitism or Islamophobia – tackled head on? Yes and no. Sometimes simply being there is a statement that faces down hatred, so Mr Sunak’s presence in office was important. And three of the four UK administrations, plus the London mayor, were of Asian heritage.
The marked lesson of Sunak's premiership is that judging a moment’s significance means also being able to distinguish between the individual and the system
And yet, discrimination and hatred also rose during his term – some might say, deliberately stoked by Mr Sunak’s party policies and politics. Many saw the flagship Rwanda deportation policy as pandering to the racist right wing. And closer to home, the Conservatives took donations from Frank Hester, a man who said that pioneering black female MP Diane Abbott made him want to “hate all black women”.
And, it must be said, Mr Sunak himself faced racism, most noticeably during the election campaign when he spoke emotionally about a racial slur used against him.
Furthermore, the culture wars – often stoked by other politicians of colour – have remained heated in the past two years.
So the symbolic impact of Britain’s first Asian-heritage prime minister must be distinguished from the systemic one. People can make their own minds up about whether he used his position to drive change and encourage more people up the ladder, or whether he pulled it up behind him.
When we advocate for a more representative workplace, especially in leadership, political and cultural roles, there is a distinction between having the same opportunities to be in those roles, and whether your background itself will make you good and be used to drive change on that platform for more representation.
As a general principle – irrelevant to what you think of Mr Sunak – equal opportunities for representation also means equal opportunities to be as terrible as everyone else.
When Theresa May stepped into the prime ministerial role – because nobody else wanted it – some spoke of a glass cliff: women stepping into career-ending roles because those of the status quo didn’t want to clean up the mess. Mr Sunak was defeated in his first leadership campaign by Liz Truss, who then barely made it to six weeks in office. And then it was Mr Sunak who walked off the glass cliff.
Should we feel sorry for any of them? Well, that’s up to you. Judge them by their policies and individual performance is my view.
Will Mr Sunak’s success be judged by a different yardstick than his previous white counterparts? It’s unlikely that a racist lens, conscious or unconscious, won’t be applied to him, and that what might be forgiven by the current electorate and history for a Boris Johnson for example will be held harshly against Mr Sunak. After all, Barack Obama’s presidency didn’t bring about a utopian post-racial US, and racism is far from over in Britain today.
But let us rejoice in this much at least. The fact that the milestone of the first minority-ethnic prime minister is now marked means the milestone itself no longer needs to be the measure of individual success.
I’m confident we can hold two big thoughts in our heads at the same time: honouring a significant, historic milestone, and still judging individual talent.
In fact, it may be even more significant than we realise, because it allows us to progress past the important but often simplistic need for representation at an individual level. The latter often risks entrenching the same homogenising racism that the campaign seeks to dismantle. If we want more representation, then “any old” Asian* heritage person (*replace with any other underrepresented group) fills this need. But now we get the chance to assess the person on their individual merits. And that at a national level is a huge and important shift in deconstructing bias.
In the Scottish elections in 2022, the same beautiful point was illustrated: both the Scottish National Party and Labour party candidates were of Asian heritage. The moment was appropriately remarked upon as pioneering, and then everyone was able to focus on distinguishing these two candidates from each other based on their individual ideas and policies.
So if there’s a legacy we should be thankful for, it is the ability to judge people on their individual qualities and performance rather than just their skin colour.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
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- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
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Liverpool 0
Stoke City 0
Man of the Match: Erik Pieters (Stoke)
'THE WORST THING YOU CAN EAT'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
The specS: 2018 Toyota Camry
Price: base / as tested: Dh91,000 / Dh114,000
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 298hp @ 6,600rpm
Torque: 356Nm @ 4,700rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
THE BIO
Family: I have three siblings, one older brother (age 25) and two younger sisters, 20 and 13
Favourite book: Asking for my favourite book has to be one of the hardest questions. However a current favourite would be Sidewalk by Mitchell Duneier
Favourite place to travel to: Any walkable city. I also love nature and wildlife
What do you love eating or cooking: I’m constantly in the kitchen. Ever since I changed the way I eat I enjoy choosing and creating what goes into my body. However, nothing can top home cooked food from my parents.
Favorite place to go in the UAE: A quiet beach.
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
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The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
if you go
The flights
Emirates offer flights to Buenos Aires from Dubai, via Rio De Janeiro from around Dh6,300. emirates.com
Seeing the games
Tangol sell experiences across South America and generally have good access to tickets for most of the big teams in Buenos Aires: Boca Juniors, River Plate, and Independiente. Prices from Dh550 and include pick up and drop off from your hotel in the city. tangol.com
Staying there
Tangol will pick up tourists from any hotel in Buenos Aires, but after the intensity of the game, the Faena makes for tranquil, upmarket accommodation. Doubles from Dh1,110. faena.com
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
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Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 plus rear-mounted electric motor
Power: 843hp at N/A rpm
Torque: 1470Nm N/A rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.6L/100km
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Price: From Dh875,000 (estimate)
ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA
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Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
Rating: 4.5/5
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
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Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
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MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING
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Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg
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Stamp duty timeline
December 2014: Former UK finance minister George Osbourne reforms stamp duty, replacing the slab system with a blended rate scheme, with the top rate increasing to 12 per cent from 10 per cent:
Up to £125,000 - 0%; £125,000 to £250,000 – 2%; £250,000 to £925,000 – 5%; £925,000 to £1.5m: 10%; Over £1.5m – 12%
April 2016: New 3% surcharge applied to any buy-to-let properties or additional homes purchased.
July 2020: Rishi Sunak unveils SDLT holiday, with no tax to pay on the first £500,000, with buyers saving up to £15,000.
March 2021: Mr Sunak decides the fate of SDLT holiday at his March 3 budget, with expectations he will extend the perk unti June.
April 2021: 2% SDLT surcharge added to property transactions made by overseas buyers.
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Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
House-hunting
Top 10 locations for inquiries from US house hunters, according to Rightmove
- Edinburgh, Scotland
- Westminster, London
- Camden, London
- Glasgow, Scotland
- Islington, London
- Kensington and Chelsea, London
- Highlands, Scotland
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
