'Meant a lot...': Rishi Sunak on pride at being first Hindu PM of Britain
Rishi Sunak: "It was obviously marvellous. It meant a lot of things to a lot of people," Rishi Sunak said.
UK prime minister Indian-origin Rishi Sunak spoke of pride at becoming UK's first prime minister of colour. Rishi Sunak, Britain's first Hindu premier, said that him assuming the top post in the country spoke volumes about Britain's diversity in an interview with The Times.
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"It was obviously marvellous. It meant a lot of things to a lot of people," Rishi Sunak said about laying out traditional Diwali decorations on the doorstep of his official residence at 11 Downing Street.
“As chancellor I was able to light my Diwali Diyas (lamps) on the steps of Downing Street. It said something wonderful about our country that that was possible, but also that it wasn't a big deal,” he added.
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"It was in a sense gosh, this is great, but also that's just Britain," Rishi Sunak said.
"Hopefully it's a source of collective pride across the country," he further added.
Rishi Sunak also said that he was convinced that he was the right person to lead the country through the economic crisis. Rishi Sunak replaced Liz Truss as premier and leader of the Conservative Party last month.
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Rishi Sunak also said that he recognised people's anxiety about soaring mortgage repayments and said he would do "absolutely everything" he could to "grip this problem".
“It's right we're honest about the trade-offs we face — everyone now talks about borrowing, everyone appreciates that the government cannot do everything,” Rishi Sunak told the newspaper.
