Rishi Sunak appeared to force a weak smile as he walked past the assembled press without replying to The National’s question of “what are your feelings, Mr Sunak?”
While at 42 years old he becomes the Britain’s youngest prime minister for two centuries, there was a nervousness about the man who has also become the leader of a political party deeply ill at ease with itself and with a country facing serious challenges.
Mr Sunak’s first test was to persuade a room packed with more than 100 MPs that he had the ability and charisma to unite a Conservative Party that is in danger of electoral oblivion.
“We face an existential threat,” he told MPs who included former prime minister Theresa May and Penny Mordaunt, who until 30 minutes earlier was his remaining leadership rival.
The room was filled with MPs of a broad spectrum of opinion from hardline Brexiteers to moderate One Nation Tories and backers of Boris Johnson.
All tribes in the party must now sense that given the ructions of the last four months, they are on a precipice and it is now a matter of “unite or die” behind their leader like they refused to do for Liz Truss or Mr Johnson.
Calm, mature and intelligent, Mr Sunak does have the skills to keep the party together and steer Britain through turbulent economic waters.
“It’s a return to grown-ups at the table,” Alicia Kearns, MP, told The National after the meeting.
“A return to fiscal responsibility and a return to compassionate conservatism, which are all good things.”
While the early moments of his tenure suggest a genuine united reset — that was not evident on Ms Truss’s accession — his resolve and resilience will be tested very quickly.
While Mr Sunak is the most inexperienced prime minister yet having served seven years as an MP, he brings indispensable experience to the role having successfully eased British businesses through the coronavirus lockdown.
He has also faced some of the most turbulent external threats Britain has suffered with the pandemic and the Ukraine war, but has proven his mettle.
Mr Sunak’s skills at people management will now be challenged when he announces his next Cabinet, knowing that Ms Truss made the elementary mistake of putting loyalists in posts while leaving experienced but disgruntled colleagues on the backbenches.
He will need to appoint a Cabinet that includes his loyalists as well as Truss and Johnson supporters alongside centrists.
One moderate likely to remain in post is Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt. It would be a neat fit for Ben Wallace to remain as Defence Secretary — he was an ally of Ms Truss and Mr Johnson — if he can stomach a less generous budget increase.
The recently-installed Grant Shapps might remain in the Home Office but others will be at risk, with Penny Mordaunt a possible replacement for James Cleverly in the Foreign Office.
It is a mark of his ability that Mr Sunak is the person the opposition Labour Party fears the most when it comes to fighting the next election.
Under Ms Truss’s chaotic tenure, with her catastrophic tax-cutting announcement, the Labour polling lead soared to 36 per cent and her personal rating plummeted to minus 70 per cent.
Central to ensuring party unity will be how Mr Sunak’s policies perform in the polls.
Labour wants a General Election which, under law, is not required for another two years, and Mr Sunak is also unlikely to announce one while his party remains so far behind.
To restore confidence in the Conservatives, he will need to show results in the polls.
Rishi Sunak through the years — in pictures
His economic competence was quickly acknowledged by the markets, whose judgment of Ms Truss’ fiscal abilities was damning.
The FTSE-100 shares index rose on news of Mr Sunak’s victory, and gilt yields that set the interest on government borrowing, dropped by 5 per cent to 3.73 per cent.
That figure, which judges the government’s ability to repay its loans, once stood at 0.97 per cent in January and then 4.5 per cent shortly after Ms Truss’ fiscal policy became public in September.
Mr Sunak knows he has to impose strict fiscal rules to bring it down farther, and the first test of that is likely to come next Monday, when the chancellor gives his financial statement.
While Mr Hunt rapidly stabilised the markets with his immediate reversal of Ms Truss’s tax cuts, other cuts to public spending will have to be made to make up a £40 billion shortfall in the government’s budget.
That will mean cuts in services, possible including the National Health Service, defence and pensions.
While they will prove unpopular, Mr Sunak knows he has little choice but to restore financial responsibility with tax increases while generating growth in Britain’s sluggish economy.
That brings him to Brexit, the albatross around Conservative necks since the 2016 referendum.
Mr Sunak may well unite the Conservatives, provide sensible financial judgment and lead government with a dash of charisma, but he must also contend with the poison chalice of Brexit.
Despite Mr Johnson’s promise to get Brexit done, there remains much that is unresolved concerning the Northern Ireland Protocol, which threatens further division.
After a meeting with the Brexiteer European Reform Group on Monday morning, Mr Sunak did not give any commitment that he would enthusiastically pursue Ms Truss and Mr Johnson’s bill through Parliament to renege on a deal with the European Union on cross-border trade.
To his advantage Mr Sunak voted for Brexit, but as a multimillionaire businessman and financier, he will know that there has been a drop in trade between Britain and the EU since Mr Johnson’s deal took effect in 2021, potentially cost the country 4 per cent in GDP.
Without a vote from MPs and Conservative members, Mr Sunak will also be given a torrid time by Labour for not having a mandate to govern.
They will also be unrelenting in highlighting his Partygate lockdown fine and the former non-domicile status of his wife that led to accusations of tax avoidance.
The challenges will be relentless but, in Mr Sunak the Conservatives will now understand that they have one remaining realistic chance of reversing their own and the country’s fortunes.
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
Tips to avoid getting scammed
1) Beware of cheques presented late on Thursday
2) Visit an RTA centre to change registration only after receiving payment
3) Be aware of people asking to test drive the car alone
4) Try not to close the sale at night
5) Don't be rushed into a sale
6) Call 901 if you see any suspicious behaviour
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Six large-scale objects on show
- Concrete wall and windows from the now demolished Robin Hood Gardens housing estate in Poplar
- The 17th Century Agra Colonnade, from the bathhouse of the fort of Agra in India
- A stagecloth for The Ballet Russes that is 10m high – the largest Picasso in the world
- Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office
- A full-scale Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, which transformed kitchen design in the 20th century
- Torrijos Palace dome
Visit Abu Dhabi culinary team's top Emirati restaurants in Abu Dhabi
Yadoo’s House Restaurant & Cafe
For the karak and Yoodo's house platter with includes eggs, balaleet, khamir and chebab bread.
Golden Dallah
For the cappuccino, luqaimat and aseeda.
Al Mrzab Restaurant
For the shrimp murabian and Kuwaiti options including Kuwaiti machboos with kebab and spicy sauce.
Al Derwaza
For the fish hubul, regag bread, biryani and special seafood soup.
Match info:
Burnley 0
Manchester United 2
Lukaku (22', 44')
Red card: Marcus Rashford (Man United)
Man of the match: Romelu Lukaku (Manchester United)
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Kibsons%20Cares
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERecycling%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fstrong%3EAny%20time%20you%20receive%20a%20Kibsons%20order%2C%20you%20can%20return%20your%20cardboard%20box%20to%20the%20drivers.%20They%E2%80%99ll%20be%20happy%20to%20take%20it%20off%20your%20hands%20and%20ensure%20it%20gets%20reused%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EKind%20to%20health%20and%20planet%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3ESolar%20%E2%80%93%2025-50%25%20of%20electricity%20saved%3Cbr%3EWater%20%E2%80%93%2075%25%20of%20water%20reused%3Cbr%3EBiofuel%20%E2%80%93%20Kibsons%20fleet%20to%20get%2020%25%20more%20mileage%20per%20litre%20with%20biofuel%20additives%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ESustainable%20grocery%20shopping%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3ENo%20antibiotics%3Cbr%3ENo%20added%20hormones%3Cbr%3ENo%20GMO%3Cbr%3ENo%20preservatives%3Cbr%3EMSG%20free%3Cbr%3E100%25%20natural%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
THE BIO
Favourite car: Koenigsegg Agera RS or Renault Trezor concept car.
Favourite book: I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes or Red Notice by Bill Browder.
Biggest inspiration: My husband Nik. He really got me through a lot with his positivity.
Favourite holiday destination: Being at home in Australia, as I travel all over the world for work. It’s great to just hang out with my husband and family.
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Anxiety and work stress major factors
Anxiety, work stress and social isolation are all factors in the recogised rise in mental health problems.
A study UAE Ministry of Health researchers published in the summer also cited struggles with weight and illnesses as major contributors.
Its authors analysed a dozen separate UAE studies between 2007 and 2017. Prevalence was often higher in university students, women and in people on low incomes.
One showed 28 per cent of female students at a Dubai university reported symptoms linked to depression. Another in Al Ain found 22.2 per cent of students had depressive symptoms - five times the global average.
It said the country has made strides to address mental health problems but said: “Our review highlights the overall prevalence of depressive symptoms and depression, which may long have been overlooked."
Prof Samir Al Adawi, of the department of behavioural medicine at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman, who was not involved in the study but is a recognised expert in the Gulf, said how mental health is discussed varies significantly between cultures and nationalities.
“The problem we have in the Gulf is the cross-cultural differences and how people articulate emotional distress," said Prof Al Adawi.
“Someone will say that I have physical complaints rather than emotional complaints. This is the major problem with any discussion around depression."
Daniel Bardsley
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
Abu Dhabi World Pro 2019 remaining schedule:
Wednesday April 24: Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship, 11am-6pm
Thursday April 25: Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship, 11am-5pm
Friday April 26: Finals, 3-6pm
Saturday April 27: Awards ceremony, 4pm and 8pm
THE BIO
Favourite place to go to in the UAE: The desert sand dunes, just after some rain
Who inspires you: Anybody with new and smart ideas, challenging questions, an open mind and a positive attitude
Where would you like to retire: Most probably in my home country, Hungary, but with frequent returns to the UAE
Favorite book: A book by Transilvanian author, Albert Wass, entitled ‘Sword and Reap’ (Kard es Kasza) - not really known internationally
Favourite subjects in school: Mathematics and science
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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
The Birkin bag is made by Hermès.
It is named after actress and singer Jane Birkin
Noone from Hermès will go on record to say how much a new Birkin costs, how long one would have to wait to get one, and how many bags are actually made each year.
More about Middle East geopolitics
Who has been sanctioned?
Daniella Weiss and Nachala
Described as 'the grandmother of the settler movement', she has encouraged the expansion of settlements for decades. The 79 year old leads radical settler movement Nachala, whose aim is for Israel to annex Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where it helps settlers built outposts.
Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure
Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians. His firm has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts.
Zohar Sabah
Runs a settler outpost named Zohar’s Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat.
Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm
These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to “serious abuse”.
Analysis
Maros Sefcovic is juggling multiple international trade agreement files, but his message was clear when he spoke to The National on Wednesday.
The EU-UAE bilateral trade deal will be finalised soon, he said. It is in everyone’s interests to do so. Both sides want to move quickly and are in alignment. He said the UAE is a very important partner for the EU. It’s full speed ahead - and with some lofty ambitions - on the road to a free trade agreement.
We also talked about US-EU tariffs. He answered that both sides need to talk more and more often, but he is prepared to defend Europe's position and said diplomacy should be a guiding principle through the current moment.
Details
Through Her Lens: The stories behind the photography of Eva Sereny
Forewords by Jacqueline Bisset and Charlotte Rampling, ACC Art Books
