Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Sunak marks 100 days as PM with pledge to deliver change

Sunak, who is married to Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy's daughter Akshata Murty, has also committed to working towards a free trade agreement (FTA) with India but reiterated that his government would not compromise “quality over speed” after the Diwali deadline set for the deal was missed due to the political turmoil in the UK.

Sunak marks 100 days as PM with pledge to deliver change

Rishi Sunak marked his 100th day in office as the first non-white British Prime Minister on Thursday with a slick new video for social media pledging to deliver change, amidst multiple challenges, including spiralling inflation.

The UK's first Indian-origin Prime Minister took charge at 10 Downing Street a day after Diwali last year on October 25 in the wake of intense political turmoil following the unceremonious exit of his predecessors – party-gate scandal-hit Boris Johnson and the country's shortest-serving Prime Minister Liz Truss.


Since then, Sunak has laid out his top priorities with a particular focus on cutting soaring inflation to tackle the crippling cost of living crisis in the aftermath of the Covid pandemic and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.

"Others may talk about change. I will deliver it," he wrote on Twitter on Thursday.

The accompanying video captures a montage of his historic selection for the top job as the “youngest in modern history”, aged 42, and also the first non-white politician at No. 10 Downing Street. It goes on to reiterate his new year commitments of five key priorities: to halve inflation, grow the economy, reduce debt, cut National Health Service (NHS) waiting lists and stop the illegal migration via small boats crossing the English Channel.

Among the scenes of his meetings with key world leaders, there is shot of him shaking hands with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the G20 Summit in Bali, Indonesia, last November where the two leaders greenlit the UK-India Young Professionals Scheme – a reciprocal scheme offering 3,000 18-30-year-old degree-educated youth visas every year to live and work in either country for two years.

"I know first-hand the incredible value of the deep cultural and historic ties we have with India. I am pleased that even more of India’s brightest young people will now have the opportunity to experience all that life in the UK has to offer – and vice-versa - making our economies and societies richer,” he said at the time.

Sunak, who is married to Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy’s daughter Akshata Murty, has also committed to working towards a free trade agreement (FTA) with India but reiterated that his government would not compromise "quality over speed" after the Diwali deadline set for the deal was missed due to the political turmoil in the UK.

On the domestic front, Sunak faces multiple challenges and pressures, including having to recently sack Conservative Party chair Nadhim Zahawi as a minister without portfolio in his Cabinet after an investigation found he had breached the ministerial code over his tax affairs.

He faced intense Opposition pressure over the issue and continues to be challenged over his decision to keep his deputy prime minister, Dominic Raab, in the post while he is being investigated over multiple bullying allegations by civil servants.

"Integrity is really important to me," he said recently, pledging to "take whatever steps are necessary to restore the integrity back into politics".

"The things that happened before I was prime minister, I can't do anything about. What I think you can hold me to account for is how I deal with the things that arise on my watch,” he added.

Besides, his government is facing some of the biggest strikes in British history as nurses, teachers, transport workers and civil servants take industrial action demanding better pay and working conditions.

The spectre of Brexit, which also marked its third anniversary this week after Britain formally left the European Union (EU) on January 31, 2020, continues to loom large over his leadership as he works on signing off on a new deal over the Northern Ireland Protocol. The unresolved issue of goods traded between the UK region and EU member-state Ireland has continued to cause great discontent on all sides.

All this comes against the backdrop of the governing Conservative Party trailing 20 or more points behind Opposition Labour in opinion polls. A poor show for the Tories in the upcoming May local elections could spur calls for yet another change of party leader ahead of general elections expected next year.

More For You

Thousands stranded as World War II bomb halts travel

Passengers queue to take a bus from Opera district, in order to reach Paris Charles-de-Gaulle Airport (CDG), as train traffic has been stopped at the Gare du Nord station in Paris on March 7, 2025, following the discovery of a World War II bomb. (Photo by GEOFFROY VAN DER HASSELT/AFP via Getty Images)

Thousands stranded as World War II bomb halts travel

THOUSANDS of passengers in Paris and London were stranded on Friday (7) after the discovery of a World War II bomb on tracks leading to the Gare du Nord station halted traffic at France's busiest railway terminus.

All traffic to the train station, which serves international, high-speed and local connections, was halted as police worked to disable the device. All Eurostar trains in Paris were cancelled.

Keep ReadingShow less
Kyle-Clifford-Reuters

Clifford had previously pleaded guilty to the murders of BBC sports commentator John Hunt’s wife and two daughters at their home in northwest of London, in July 2024. (Photo: Hertfordshire Police /Handout via REUTERS)

Crossbow murderer found guilty of raping ex-girlfriend

A 26-YEAR-OLD man who murdered three women in a crossbow and stabbing attack has been found guilty of raping one of them, his ex-girlfriend, a British court ruled on Thursday.

Kyle Clifford had previously pleaded guilty to the murders of BBC sports commentator John Hunt’s wife and two daughters at their home in Bushey, northwest of London, in July 2024.

Keep ReadingShow less
modern-slavery-reuters

A suspected victim of modern slavery, who was initially denied state support after Britain introduced a tougher immigration policy, poses for a portrait following an interview with Reuters in London on September 19, 2024. (Photo: Reuters)

UK sees record rise in modern slavery cases

THE NUMBER of people referred as potential victims of modern slavery in the UK reached a record high last year, according to official figures released on Thursday. Experts have called for urgent policy changes to tackle the growing issue.

Home Office data showed 19,125 referrals were made to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) in 2024, the highest recorded so far. The figure surpassed the previous record of around 17,000 referrals in 2023. The NRM is the UK's system for identifying and supporting victims of modern slavery.

Keep ReadingShow less
mohammed-shami-getty

Shami is currently in Dubai as part of India’s squad for the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy and is the second-highest wicket-taker in the tournament so far. (Photo: Getty Images)

Cleric says cricketer Mohammed Shami committed sin by not fasting

A MUSLIM cleric in India has criticised cricketer Mohammed Shami for not fasting during the Islamic holy month of Ramzan, calling it a sin under Islamic law.

Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Barelvi, national president of the All India Muslim Jamaat, said on Thursday that the Indian pace bowler had violated religious obligations by not observing the fast.

Keep ReadingShow less
London Court Sentences Chinese Student for Drugging & Rape

Zhenhao Zou, 28, lived in south London and used online platforms and dating apps to meet women, according to London’s Metropolitan Police. (Photo: Reuters)

London court convicts Chinese student of drugging, raping women

A CHINESE student has been found guilty by a London court of drugging and raping 10 women in the UK and China. British police suspect he may have attacked more than 50 other women.

Zhenhao Zou, 28, lived in south London and used online platforms and dating apps to meet women, according to London’s Metropolitan Police (MPS).

Keep ReadingShow less