By Hamed Chapman

London, (The Muslim News): Rishi Sunak is set to be the country’s first Hindu and British Asian Prime Minister after becoming the Conservative leader unopposed Monday when the only remaining contestant, Leader of the House of Commons, Penny Mordaunt, withdrew at the last minute from the start of the election process by party MPs.

The Tories were facing an “existential threat” but could win the next election, due within just over two years, by uniting and being honest with the electorate on tough decisions and by returning to core values like fiscal discipline, the youngest Prime Minister for over 200 years said in his first meeting as leader with Tory MPs.

The 41-year-old, who is the third leader in three months, was appointed in an effective “coronation” without a vote by party members, after former Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, also pulled out of the leadership race on Sunday despite claiming he was “well placed to deliver a Conservative victory in 2024.”

The change comes after Liz Truss was told to step down by the party after creating an economic catastrophe and was only in office for 55 days. She had originally defeated Sunak in a party leadership race after Johnson was also forced to resign in disgrace in July.

Labour and virtually all political parties have repeatedly called for a general election to be held immediately even though the current term does not expire until December 2024, but the new Prime Minister-in-waiting told the party’s Parliamentary 1922 Committee meeting that there would be no election soon.

After being Johnson’s former chancellor, he stressed he wanted “sustainable growth” and need for a Net Zero agenda well as delivering tax cuts when economy and public finances allow, all of which are the reverse of Truss’s policies.

Sunak was born in Southampton to parents of Indian descent who came to Britain in the 1960s. He is believed to be one of the richest MPs in Parliament and was previously found to have non-domestic tax status in the UK and have a US green card.

Latest polls have shown that virtually since Truss came to office and had a mini-budget that if an election were held, the ruling Conservatives would be wiped out by Labour, which has not been in power since 2010.

[Photo: Former Chancellor of the Exchequer and Leader of Conservative Party, Rishi Sunak. Picture by Pippa Fowles / No 10 Downing Street]