Rishi Sunak’s fortune has left him open to regular attacks from opposition politicians. (file)
London:
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murthy’s wealth has plummeted over the past twelve months, but at 529 million pounds ($668 million) they are still free from the cost-of-living crisis that dominates Britain’s political agenda. Is.
The pair are now ranked 275th according to the Sunday Times Rich List, down from 222nd last year, due to a fall in the value of their stake in Infosys, the India IT giant founded by Murthy’s father.
As prime minister, Sunak is entitled to an annual salary of around £165,000. When he became PM last October, his income grew at the normal MLA rate, but not enough to offset the drop in wealth from an estimated £730 million last year to £529 million in 2023.
His fortune has left him open to regular attacks from opposition politicians, who say he is out of touch with ordinary people at a time when many Britons are falling poorer.
Inflation is over 10% and wages are not growing fast enough, shrinking household incomes, and creating the “cost of living crisis” that is making headlines. Sunak has pledged to halve inflation and grow the economy to address the issue.
Sunak is by far the richest resident of Number 10 Downing Street, but has said people should not hold their wealth against them.
“I think in our country, we don’t judge people by their bank account, we judge them by their character and their actions. And yes, I’m really lucky to be in the position I’m in right now, but I’m not Was born that way,” he said last year.
Last year, Sunak’s wife faced criticism and public anger in April over her “non-domiciled” tax status, which meant she did not pay tax in Britain on her earnings abroad. She later dropped the position, saying she would pay British tax on her global income.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)