Rishi Sunak facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Right Honourable Rishi Sunak MP
Official portrait, 2022
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
In office 25 October 2022 – 5 July 2024
Monarch	Charles III
Deputy	Dominic Raab Oliver Dowden
Preceded by	Liz Truss
Succeeded by	Keir Starmer
Leader of the Opposition
In office 5 July 2024 – 2 November 2024
Monarch	Charles III
Prime Minister	Keir Starmer
Deputy	Oliver Dowden
Preceded by	Keir Starmer
Succeeded by	Kemi Badenoch
Leader of the Conservative Party
In office 24 October 2022 – 2 November 2024
Preceded by	Liz Truss
Succeeded by	Kemi Badenoch
Ministerial portfolios 2018‍–‍2022 Chancellor of the Exchequer In office 13 February 2020 – 5 July 2022 Prime Minister Boris Johnson Preceded by Sajid Javid Succeeded by Nadhim Zahawi Chief Secretary to the Treasury In office 24 July 2019 – 13 February 2020 Prime Minister Boris Johnson Preceded by Liz Truss Succeeded by Steve Barclay Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Local Government In office 9 January 2018 – 24 July 2019 Prime Minister Theresa May Preceded by Marcus Jones (as Minister of State for Housing and Local Government) Succeeded by Jake Berry (as Minister of State for Northern Powerhouse and Local Growth)
Member of Parliament for Richmond and Northallerton
Incumbent
Assumed office 7 May 2015
Preceded by	William Hague
Majority	12,185 (25.1%)
Personal details
Born	(1980-05-12) 12 May 1980 (age 45) Southampton, Hampshire, England
Political party	Conservative
Spouse	Akshata Murty ​ (m. 2009)​
Children	2
Relatives	N. R. Narayana Murthy (father-in-law) Sudha Murty (mother-in-law) Rohan Murty (brother-in-law)
Education	Winchester College Lincoln College, Oxford (BA) Stanford University (MBA)
Signature

Rishi Sunak (born 12 May 1980) is a British politician. He was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2022 to 2024. He also led the Conservative Party during this time. He was the first British Asian to hold these important jobs. Before becoming Prime Minister, he worked in the government under Boris Johnson. He was the Chancellor of the Exchequer, which means he was in charge of the country's money. Sunak has been a Member of Parliament (MP) for Richmond and Northallerton since 2015.

About Rishi Sunak

Early Life and School

Rishi Sunak was born on 12 May 1980 in Southampton, England. His parents, Yashvir and Usha Sunak, were Hindus of Indian descent. They were born in East Africa.

Rishi went to a school called Stroud School. Later, he studied at Winchester College, where he became a head boy. During his summer breaks, he worked as a waiter in a curry restaurant.

He then went to Lincoln College, Oxford University. He studied philosophy, politics, and economics. He graduated with top marks in 2001. While at university, he joined the Conservative Party.

In 2006, Sunak earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from Stanford University in the US. He was a Fulbright Scholar. At Stanford, he met his future wife, Akshata Murty. Her father, N. R. Narayana Murthy, is a famous Indian billionaire.

Rishi's grandparents moved to the United Kingdom in the 1960s from East Africa. His father is a doctor, and his mother was a pharmacist.

His Career Before Politics

From 2001 to 2004, Sunak worked as an analyst for an investment bank called Goldman Sachs. After that, he worked for a company that manages money, called The Children's Investment Fund Management. He became a partner there in 2006.

In 2009, he left to join another company, Theleme Partners, in California. He also worked as a director for Catamaran Ventures. This company was owned by his father-in-law, N. R. Narayana Murthy.

Becoming a Politician

Official portrait, 2017

Rishi Sunak was first elected to the House of Commons in 2015. He represented the area of Richmond in North Yorkshire.

As a new MP, he supported the campaign for Brexit. This was when the UK decided to leave the European Union in 2016.

After the 2017 election, he became a junior minister. He worked in Theresa May's government. He was a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Local Government.

When Theresa May resigned, Sunak supported Boris Johnson to become the new leader. In July 2019, Johnson made Sunak the Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

After the 2019 election, Johnson promoted Sunak again. He became the Chancellor of the Exchequer in 2020. This is a very important job, like being the country's finance minister.

Helping the Economy During COVID

As Chancellor, Rishi Sunak played a big part in the government's financial response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He helped create schemes like the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. This scheme helped pay people's wages so they wouldn't lose their jobs. He also introduced "Eat Out to Help Out" to support restaurants.

He also worked on problems like the rising cost of living and energy prices. He resigned as Chancellor in July 2022. This happened during a time when many government officials were resigning.

After Boris Johnson resigned, Sunak tried to become the leader of the Conservative Party. He got the most votes from MPs but lost the final vote to Liz Truss.

Later, Liz Truss resigned as Prime Minister. Sunak then ran for leader again in October 2022. He was elected without anyone running against him. He then became Prime Minister.

Time as Prime Minister (2022–2024)

Sunak arrives in Downing Street.

When Rishi Sunak became Prime Minister, he promised to bring "integrity, professionalism and accountability" to the government. He said he wanted to fix mistakes and focus on making the economy stable.

Protecting the Environment

Sunak changed some policies about the environment. He brought back the ban on fracking in October 2022. Fracking is a way to get gas from the ground.

He also attended the COP27 summit in Egypt. There, he launched a new plan called The Forest and Climate Leaders' Partnership (FCLP). This plan aims to stop and reverse the cutting down of forests by 2030. Many countries joined this partnership.

Sunak has said he wants the UK to reach "net zero" by 2050. This means the country would not add more greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. He supports more offshore wind farms and solar panels on buildings.

Working with Other Countries

Sunak with Joe Biden, Olaf Scholz and Ursula von der Leyen at the 49th G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan

Sunak met with US President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He visited Kyiv and promised to give Ukraine a lot of money and military help. This included long-range missiles and drones.

Sunak meets Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in London.

He also worked on the "Windsor Framework" agreement with the European Union. This agreement was about how goods would move between Great Britain and Northern Ireland after Brexit.

2024 General Election

Sunak announcing the date of the 2024 general election, 22 May 2024

On 22 May 2024, Rishi Sunak announced that a general election would be held on 4 July 2024. This was a surprise to many people.

The Conservative Party lost the election to the Labour Party. On July 5, Sunak accepted the loss. Keir Starmer then became the new Prime Minister.

What Happened After Being PM?

Sunak and his wife, Akshata Murty, leaving Downing Street

After leaving the role of Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak became the Leader of the Opposition. He formed his own "shadow cabinet" to challenge the new government.

He remained leader of the Conservative Party until Kemi Badenoch was elected as his successor. After that, he became a regular MP again.

In 2025, he became a visiting fellow at Stanford University. He also started a charity with his wife called The Richmond Project. This charity aims to help children and adults improve their math skills.

His Ideas and Beliefs

European Union

Rishi Sunak supported the UK leaving the European Union (Brexit). He believes the UK should not have to follow EU laws after Brexit. He also helped create the "Windsor Framework" to manage trade with Northern Ireland.

Energy and the Environment

Sunak has signed a pledge to protect the environment. He supports using clean energy and improving home insulation. He is committed to the UK reaching "net zero" by 2050. He prefers offshore wind farms over onshore ones.

Sunak hailing global cooperation in October 2021, after 136 countries agreed a new system ensuring large multi-nationals pay the right tax in the right places

He attended the COP26 conference in Glasgow. There, he talked about the need for countries to invest more in green projects. He also spoke about getting private companies to help fund climate efforts.

Foreign Policy

In 2022, Sunak described China as a "systemic challenge" to the UK. He said the West should try to manage this competition through diplomacy.

He sees Saudi Arabia as a "partner" and "ally" for the UK. He also supported recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

Immigration

Sunak wants to lower the number of people moving to the UK. He has said he wants to pass new laws to stop small boats from arriving illegally. He believes people who come to the country illegally should be removed quickly.

Personal Life

Kirby Sigston Manor, owned by Sunak and Murty

Rishi Sunak married Akshata Murty in 2009. They met while studying at Stanford University. Akshata's father founded the technology company Infosys.

Rishi and Akshata have two daughters, Krishna and Anoushka. They own several homes, including one in North Yorkshire and apartments in London and California. When he became Prime Minister, the Sunaks moved into the official residence at 10 Downing Street.

Interesting Facts About Rishi Sunak

• Rishi is the oldest of three children. His brother is a psychologist, and his sister works for the United Nations.
• He used to drink a lot of Coca-Cola when he was younger.
• He is a big fan of Southampton F.C., a football club. He once said his dream job would be to run the club.
• When he took his oath as an MP, he used the Bhagavad Gita, a Hindu holy book.
• He has a Labrador dog named Nova.
• He enjoys cricket and horse racing.
• As Chancellor, he liked to work out early in the morning using a Peloton bike.
• Rishi Sunak is a Hindu and identifies as British Indian. He feels "thoroughly British" but also values his Indian heritage.
• During the coronation of Charles III, Sunak read a passage from the New Testament.

Images for kids

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  Sunak recording a video concerning government financial support for businesses amidst COVID-19, April 2020

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  Sunak with Boris Johnson in March 2020

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  Sunak holding a red box in October 2021

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  Sunak (right) and Sajid Javid (left) (the first two cabinet members to resign on 5 July) pictured with Johnson (centre)

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  Sunak chairing the first meeting of his cabinet

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  Sunak with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy during his first visit to Kyiv in November 2022

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  Sunak and Jeremy Hunt holding a "Levelling Up" sign

See also

In Spanish: Rishi Sunak para niños