Having leapt on to the Conservative stage at a tumultuous time for British politics, Rishi Sunak had his work cut out for him from day one.
Long seen as one of the most successful political parties in the western world, the Conservative Party’s members, supporters and politicians had been crying out for strong and sensible leadership.
Mr Sunak’s victory in the Tory leadership race was unlike any other – the UK’s first ethnic Asian and Hindu leader entered office as the shortest-serving prime minister, Liz Truss, departed.
Casting himself as a sensible pair of hands committed to steadying the rocky Tory ship, he made a vow to the British public to lead with “integrity, professionalism and accountability”.
As he disappeared behind the black door of 10 Downing Street, there was a thirst for stability following months of Tory infighting and years of Brexit dominating politics.
Less than three months later, he laid out his five key priorities: stop the boats, halve inflation in 2023, grow the economy, reduce debt and cut waiting lists for patients in the National Health Service.
As Mr Sunak approaches his anniversary in office and prepares for his first Conservative Party Conference as leader, it begs the question: has the Prime Minister made good on his promises?
Stop the boats
After being sworn in as Britain’s leader on October 25, Mr Sunak launched a multifaceted bid to stop the stream of dinghies illegally transporting migrants across the English Channel – but this has proved to be challenging.
Albanians accounted for more than half of illegal migrants who filed modern slavery claims upon arrival in the UK in the first half of 2022 – a trend which the Prime Minister said was “ridiculous”.
Mr Sunak and his Albanian counterpart, Edi Rama, agreed in December to enhance co-operation in three areas including illegal immigration.
In June, the Sunak government said the “gold-standard” deal had resulted in 12,000 Albanians being deported after crossing the Channel on small boats.
The government has not had so much success with its plan to curb illegal migration overall.
The Illegal Migration Bill, introduced in Parliament in March, aims to ensure that anyone who comes to the UK illegally will be detained and deported to their country of origin or a safe third country such as Rwanda.
The legislation suffered a series of setbacks before alterations were made and it received royal assent in July.
Campaigners won a Court of Appeal challenge in June that saw the three judges overturn a High Court ruling that previously said the East African nation was considered a “safe third country”.
Mr Sunak said he disagreed with the court’s ruling and that he would appeal to the Supreme Court.
His government's bid to house migrants on the Bibby Stockholm barge was also thrown into the air after legionella bacteria was detected shortly after the first group of men were moved on to the accommodation. They were swiftly removed but the episode caused embarrassment for the government.
About 24,208 Channel arrivals have been recorded so far this year.
Slash NHS waiting lists
Britain’s NHS has long been seen as sacrosanct to the nation and is the envy of many countries the world over, including developed nations.
It routinely ranks in the top three issues for voters when deciding which party to support in a general election.
This would have been on the Prime Minister’s mind when he pledged to reduce waiting lists to enable people to gain access to health care more quickly.
His promise refers only to waiting lists in England, as the devolved governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland look after their own health systems.
The latest recording of patient waiting lists in England did not offer any hope to the Conservative government that the promise could be kept.
In June, the waiting lists hit a record 7.68 million, with two in five people waiting more than 18 weeks to be seen.
Almost 400,000 patients were waiting for treatment for heart conditions, the British Heart Foundation said.
The government is planning to turn to the private sector in an attempt to solve the crisis.
Mr Sunak on Thursday blamed strikes by junior doctors, nurses and other health staff for stifling progress on his pledge to bring down the numbers.
The number of appointments and procedures that had to be cancelled due to strikes in the health service recently passed the one million mark.
Speaking to BBC Radio Cornwall, Mr Sunak said “I know people are frustrated” but said he shared their frustration because “the strikes are holding back progress”.
The Prime Minister pointed out that agreements have been reached with more than a million NHS workers, including nurses and porters, and that junior doctors have been offered more than anyone else in the public sector.
“Those are the facts and people will make up their own minds,” he said.
Grow the economy
Vague in its wording, this pledge was made by the Prime Minister with the aim of “creating better-paid jobs and opportunity right across the country”.
Number 10 said the target will be achieved if, using gross domestic product, the economy is bigger in the final quarter of 2023 than it was in the previous quarter (July-September).
Office of National Statistics figures released on Friday showed UK’s GDP is estimated to have increased by 0.2 per cent in April to June, unrevised. And it was estimated to have increased by 0.3 per cent in the first three months of this year, revised up from 0.1 per cent.
Mr Sunak on Friday said that new figures suggesting that the economy had grown faster than expected between January and March proves the doubters wrong.
“People doubted the strength of the UK economy – today’s data proves them wrong,” he wrote on X, formerly Twitter, in response to the ONS statistics.
“We’re sticking to the plan to halve inflation and grow the economy.
“You can trust me to get it done.”
Halve inflation
When Mr Sunak pledged in January to cut inflation in half, the latest published inflation figure was November 2022's 10.7 per cent.
By August it had fallen to 6.7 per cent.
To help slow inflation, the Bank of England raised interest rates 14 times to 5.25 per cent from November 2021. Last week, the bank left rates unchanged.
Mr Sunak last week said inflation is “on track to be halved”.
Reduce debt
Mr Sunak’s fourth vow to the British public was to decrease debt to secure the future of public services.
In a speech last week laying out his about-turns on key aspects of the Tories’ flagship green agenda, the party leader claimed debt is “on target to be falling”.
Britain’s pile of debt was larger than the country’s economic output in June – the first time this has happened for more than 60 years, official data showed.
In July, public sector net borrowing hit £18.5 billion, down from £20 billion a month earlier, the ONS revealed. It pushed the total debt recording to a little less than £2.6 trillion.
The ONS said debt reached 100.8 per cent of GDP in June, the first time that had happened since 1961.
Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
INDIA'S%20TOP%20INFLUENCERS
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Zimbabwe v UAE, ODI series
All matches at the Harare Sports Club:
1st ODI, Wednesday, April 10
2nd ODI, Friday, April 12
3rd ODI, Sunday, April 14
4th ODI, Tuesday, April 16
UAE squad: Mohammed Naveed (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Usman, CP Rizwan, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Ghulam Shabber, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
Seven tips from Emirates NBD
1. Never respond to e-mails, calls or messages asking for account, card or internet banking details
2. Never store a card PIN (personal identification number) in your mobile or in your wallet
3. Ensure online shopping websites are secure and verified before providing card details
4. Change passwords periodically as a precautionary measure
5. Never share authentication data such as passwords, card PINs and OTPs (one-time passwords) with third parties
6. Track bank notifications regarding transaction discrepancies
7. Report lost or stolen debit and credit cards immediately
About Tenderd
Started: May 2018
Founder: Arjun Mohan
Based: Dubai
Size: 23 employees
Funding: Raised $5.8m in a seed fund round in December 2018. Backers include Y Combinator, Beco Capital, Venturesouq, Paul Graham, Peter Thiel, Paul Buchheit, Justin Mateen, Matt Mickiewicz, SOMA, Dynamo and Global Founders Capital
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What went into the film
25 visual effects (VFX) studios
2,150 VFX shots in a film with 2,500 shots
1,000 VFX artists
3,000 technicians
10 Concept artists, 25 3D designers
New sound technology, named 4D SRL
Packages which the US Secret Service said contained possible explosive devices were sent to:
- Former first lady Hillary Clinton
- Former US president Barack Obama
- Philanthropist and businessman George Soros
- Former CIA director John Brennan at CNN's New York bureau
- Former Attorney General Eric Holder (delivered to former DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz)
- California Congresswoman Maxine Waters (two devices)
RedCrow Intelligence Company Profile
Started: 2016
Founders: Hussein Nasser Eddin, Laila Akel, Tayeb Akel
Based: Ramallah, Palestine
Sector: Technology, Security
# of staff: 13
Investment: $745,000
Investors: Palestine’s Ibtikar Fund, Abu Dhabi’s Gothams and angel investors
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
The biog
Name: Salvador Toriano Jr
Age: 59
From: Laguna, The Philippines
Favourite dish: Seabass or Fish and Chips
Hobbies: When he’s not in the restaurant, he still likes to cook, along with walking and meeting up with friends.
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
Power: 190hp
Torque: 320Nm
Price: From Dh147,000
Available: Now
Representing%20UAE%20overseas
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Graduated from the American University of Sharjah
She is the eldest of three brothers and two sisters
Has helped solve 15 cases of electric shocks
Enjoys travelling, reading and horse riding
The lowdown
Badla
Rating: 2.5/5
Produced by: Red Chillies, Azure Entertainment
Director: Sujoy Ghosh
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Taapsee Pannu, Amrita Singh, Tony Luke
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: seven-speed auto
Power: 420 bhp
Torque: 624Nm
Price: from Dh293,200
On sale: now
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What is hepatitis?
Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver, which can lead to fibrosis (scarring), cirrhosis or liver cancer.
There are 5 main hepatitis viruses, referred to as types A, B, C, D and E.
Hepatitis C is mostly transmitted through exposure to infective blood. This can occur through blood transfusions, contaminated injections during medical procedures, and through injecting drugs. Sexual transmission is also possible, but is much less common.
People infected with hepatitis C experience few or no symptoms, meaning they can live with the virus for years without being diagnosed. This delay in treatment can increase the risk of significant liver damage.
There are an estimated 170 million carriers of Hepatitis C around the world.
The virus causes approximately 399,000 fatalities each year worldwide, according to WHO.
Essentials
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct from the UAE to Los Angeles, from Dh4,975 return, including taxes. The flight time is 16 hours. Alaska Airlines, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Aeromexico and Southwest all fly direct from Los Angeles to San Jose del Cabo from Dh1,243 return, including taxes. The flight time is two-and-a-half hours.
The trip
Lindblad Expeditions National Geographic’s eight-day Whales Wilderness itinerary costs from US$6,190 (Dh22,736) per person, twin share, including meals, accommodation and excursions, with departures in March and April 2018.
Fixtures
Opening day Premier League fixtures for August 9-11
August 9
Liverpool v Norwich 11pm
August 10
West Ham v Man City 3.30pm
Bournemouth v Sheffield Utd 6pm
Burnley v Southampton 6pm
C Palace v Everton 6pm
Leicester v Wolves 6pm
Watford v Brighton 6pm
Tottenham v Aston Villa 8.30pm
August 11
Newcastle v Arsenal 5pm
Man United v Chelsea 7.30pm
Why seagrass matters
- Carbon sink: Seagrass sequesters carbon up to 35X faster than tropical rainforests
- Marine nursery: Crucial habitat for juvenile fish, crustations, and invertebrates
- Biodiversity: Support species like sea turtles, dugongs, and seabirds
- Coastal protection: Reduce erosion and improve water quality
The Two Popes
Director: Fernando Meirelles
Stars: Anthony Hopkins, Jonathan Pryce
Four out of five stars
The biog
Age: 30
Position: Senior lab superintendent at Emirates Global Aluminium
Education: Bachelor of science in chemical engineering, post graduate degree in light metal reduction technology
Favourite part of job: The challenge, because it is challenging
Favourite quote: “Be the change you wish to see in the world,” Gandi
More Expo 2020 Dubai pavilions:
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
FIXTURES
Thu Mar 15 – West Indies v Afghanistan, UAE v Scotland
Fri Mar 16 – Ireland v Zimbabwe
Sun Mar 18 – Ireland v Scotland
Mon Mar 19 – West Indies v Zimbabwe
Tue Mar 20 – UAE v Afghanistan
Wed Mar 21 – West Indies v Scotland
Thu Mar 22 – UAE v Zimbabwe
Fri Mar 23 – Ireland v Afghanistan
The top two teams qualify for the World Cup
Classification matches
The top-placed side out of Papua New Guinea, Hong Kong or Nepal will be granted one-day international status. UAE and Scotland have already won ODI status, having qualified for the Super Six.
Thu Mar 15 – Netherlands v Hong Kong, PNG v Nepal
Sat Mar 17 – 7th-8th place playoff, 9th-10th place playoff
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
Wenger's Arsenal reign in numbers
1,228 - games at the helm, ahead of Sunday's Premier League fixture against West Ham United.
704 - wins to date as Arsenal manager.
3 - Premier League title wins, the last during an unbeaten Invincibles campaign of 2003/04.
1,549 - goals scored in Premier League matches by Wenger's teams.
10 - major trophies won.
473 - Premier League victories.
7 - FA Cup triumphs, with three of those having come the last four seasons.
151 - Premier League losses.
21 - full seasons in charge.
49 - games unbeaten in the Premier League from May 2003 to October 2004.
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
