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Rishi Sunak delivers his first speech as incoming Prime Minister, October 24, 2022. Screenshot/YouTube

WESTMINSTER, England (LifeSiteNews) – Former British Chancellor Rishi Sunak has been announced as the new leader of the U.K.’s Conservative party and the new Prime Minister, following the recent resignation of Liz Truss.

Sunak emerged as the only candidate with the required minimum backing of 100 Members of Parliament (MPs) on October 24, leading to what media have described as a “coronation” for the 42-year-old politician.

Following the collapse of Truss’ government and her resignation on October 20 after only 44 days in office as Boris Johnson’s successor, taking the title as the shortest reigning prime minister in British history, candidates to replace Truss had to receive the required support by 2 p.m. Monday afternoon. 

With the two other candidates – former Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Penny Mordaunt – both dropping out before the deadline, Sunak was the only candidate remaining, meaning he became the de facto leader of the Conservative Party, and will become the next prime minister.

He will formally become the prime minister upon meeting with King Charles III.

Sunak’s selection process has been firmly criticized from political commentators in the U.K., who noted that Conservative party members were not given a choice in the new party leader, despite this being stipulated in the party’s constitutions. 

Only days prior, Conservative party chairman Sir Jake Berry stated that such a position was a “crisis” for the party. “This is an existential crisis for the future of the Conservative party…If we believe in democracy, members cannot be denied a say on who the next leader of the party is.”

Following Johnson’s resignation earlier in the summer, Sunak put himself forward for the top job, but the Conservative members elected Truss instead, with Sunak placing second and Mordaunt third.

READ: Leading candidates for new UK Prime Minister aren’t meaningfully conservative in any way

Now having succeeded Truss, without a vote from the party members or the general electorate, Sunak’s appointment as party leader and prime minister has been widely described as a “coronation.” 

Calls continue for a general election following today’s announcement, including from Conservative voters. The last general election was in 2019, when Johnson won a landslide victory, the largest since 1987, for the Conservative party. Reported public support for the Conservatives has since fallen in light of the COVID-19 restrictions and economic crisis.

Sunak served under Johnson as Chancellor of the Exchequer during the COVID-19 related lockdowns, implementing policies which saw mass financial handouts from the government; however, on Sunday he announced that the country was in a state of “profound economic crisis,” which, as prime minister, he would tackle. 

Sunak has shown himself to be a supporter of key global policies in line with the United Nations and World Economic Forum, including promoting the “climate change” agenda. Sunak emphasized the role of the U.K. at the “climate-change” COP26 conference in Glasgow last year as the future “green finance centre of the world” and has reaffirmed the government’s goal to reach net-zero by 2050.

While a Sunak ally stated previously he was “critical of recent trends to erase women via the use of clumsy, gender-neutral language,” Sunak told LGBT activists in the summer that he supported the movement. “I also pledge to work day and night to make Britain the kindest, safest and most vibrant place in the world to be LGBT +,” he stated.

READ: UK proposing bank-controlled digital currency amid warnings of state control, loss of freedom

Sunak is personally linked to the WEF through his family, with his father-in-law’s company Infosys listed as a WEF partner. The company is dubbed a “global leader in next-generation digital services,” and promotes a China-style social credit financial system centered on digital currency. 

During Sunak’s summer campaign to become Johnson’s successor, he was endorsed by China’s Global Times, which praised him for being the only candidate with “a clear and pragmatic view on developing UK-China ties.”

Together with his wife, Sunak – a Hindu – is estimated to have a fortune of around £730 million.

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