British Election: Starmer 'ruthless', Sunak 'lacked Experience, Conservatives Weren’t Ready for Him'

Starmer can be "ruthless"; Sunak "lacked experience"; "Britain was not ready for him": Senior Journalist, Ashis Ray, to Karan Thapar for The Wire.
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In an interview to discuss the British election results as well as the new Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, and the future of his predecessor, Rishi Sunak, one of the most senior Indian journalists working in Britain, Ashis Ray, says that Starmer can be “ruthless” and Sunak “lacked experience”. Ashis Ray says “Britain was not ready for him (Sunak)”. Later, however, Mr. Ray amended this to say that he was referring to the rank and file of the Tory Party.
This is a comprehensive interview that discusses the implications and consequences of the British election results and gives you a tour d’horizon picture of the outcome.
It discusses what sort of mandate Labour has received when its vote share has only increased by 2%. It talks about the damage Reform has done to Labour and also the Liberals success in winning 71 seats and the collapse of the Scottish Nationalists and what that means for the independence movement in Scotland.
The interview discusses Keir Starmer in detail. Does he personify the mood of Britain as Tony Blair did in 1997? How much credit does he get for making Labour electable? Is he an enigma, lacking conviction and a man who stands for nothing, as some people have said? Was he ruthless as Head of the Crown Prosecution Service but also reluctant to prosecute the police and other government agents? Was he ruthless in his handling of Corbyn?
What would a Starmer government mean for India? How would he treat voices in Britain calling for Kashmiri independence or supporting Sikh militants? Where does the FTA stand?
Finally, how has Sunak’s final speech gone down with the British people? How will he fare as Leader of the Opposition, a job he has to fulfill till the Conservatives elect a new leader? And is Sunak’s real legacy the fact he was the first non-white Prime Minister of the United Kingdom?
Incidentally, with this election Britain has elected 29 people of Indian origin as MPs and a further 15 of Pakistani origin as MPs. That’s a total of 44. It’s elected 12 Sikhs. On top of this there are several MPs who are black and not part of this tally. I’m told Black/Asian/ethnic origin MPs are now 13% of the House of Commons compared to 10% earlier. This is a very different Parliament to any that Britain has had before.
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[@redstatesaint]

I am really sorry, but saying that "Britain wasn't ready for him" is a gross mischaracterization of how miserable he was as a PM. He's richer than the king of England. Like, literally. And the economic inequality Sunak is emblematic of has only gotten worse and worse with every succeeding Tory government. Sunak actively campaigned for diverting funds from poorer neighbourhoods to richer ones. This fascination with suave, young technocrats (Macron, Buttigieg, Sunak, Trudeau) needs to stop! They're apathetic individuals who, due to their political training and personal interests, do not possess the political capital to actually help the working classes of their countries; they help in or uncritically accept the destabilisation of vulnerable parts of the globe to maintain a steady supply of precarious immigrant labour for lowered costs of production that unionised labour in their countries would never accept; and periodically allow the immigrants to become scapegoats to satisfy their "domestic", ethno-nationalist base. They view liberalism and ethnocentrism as the two poles of managing their countries with the end result being that neither they nor the right wing idiots they allow to exist (to discipline the immigrants: legal or not) offer any solution to the actual problems of the working people in their countries, which includes the immigrants. We need to move past these navel gazing and shortsighted leaders. They're young but their ideas are of the old. And that is where their political careers too should belong.

[@cyrilabraham1776]

Beautifully said. 👍

[@najeebukhan1639]

Andoo bhakts of RSS are crying now

[@ninarao4063]

Agree, protest many didn't vote reform because of farage!

[@azeemsoona]

To say that sunak is richer than the monarch is not true. The value of the total assets of the monarch would exceed $49 B. Hard to match. But personal wealth is close.

[@muhammadaquil2256]

He was not elected, was choice of his party which has no better candidate after Bojo & Liz Truss failure.

[@VinodKumar-yv5yk]

Dear Karan, you don’t have to say ‘stay safe’ to anyone in Britain. We still have the freedom of speech and unlike in India, we don’t have to worry about the dictator coming down on us!

[@JSR-n9i]

Yeah okay. Then please go wherever you like. BJP will rule this nation forever. Jai Hind Vande Mataram Bharat Mata Ki Jai

[@user-eq7mo9st3u]

@@JSR-n9i I’m BJP and he is right. You are wrong. My party’s downfall already started. We need to go to Vajpaiji’s ideals if we need to stand any chance. Stop fanaticism, casteism and spread love. Jaihind!

[@JSR-n9i]

@@user-eq7mo9st3u Oh you are a BJP guy? Yeah we saw what Vajpayee's ideas got us in 2004. Sickulars won't support Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas.

[@user-eq7mo9st3u]

@@JSR-n9i you still didn’t learn. Next election our party is history with people like you.

[@JSR-n9i]

@@user-eq7mo9st3u No I don't even think you're a BJP supporter

[@VinodKumar-yv5yk]

Don’t agree with your guest. Britain has moved on from where it was. Accusing the people of racism towards Mr Sunak is abhorrent. It was the failure of the conservative government that caused the loss of

[@riverocean4380]

Yes. The same people who haven't elected a Dalit PM. Btw Modi is not dalit according to The Indian Express's article titled - "What's in a surname: The origins of 'Modi', its caste links". He's Baniya . In Punjab we call a small corner shop - Modi khana

[@ankitsrivastava1571]

Pointed questions by Karan Thapar. He is really sharp and his presence of mind is commendable. Great work KT

[@user-vd6bn5ep7o]

Sunak is more dangerous than a snake.

[@shashanksarmah3372]

the snake was 1400 years ago in Arabia.

[@user-in5sh5fg3s]

@@shashanksarmah3372 no the snake is your god

[@malianwong]

@@shashanksarmah3372 ...and his father was there in the republic of starvation more than 4000 years ,you know which one I am talking about ,that impotent blue idol with fork,the "god" nothingness....🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂

[@gargsamyt]

Simplistic analysis. 1. 28 Indian origin MPs were elected. Out of a total 650 seats, this represents ~ 4%. This is a fairer reflection of current UK demographics where the Indian origin population of the UK was 3.1% as of the 2022 census 2. Rishi Sunak winning his seat is a huge achievement given the black, Asian and minority ethnic groups are less than 5% in this constituency. A clear message to the Conservatives in the context of 4 former conservative "white" PMs losing their seats outright - the message is that the non-white Sunak is acceptable to the electorate but not the Conservative brand of politics. 3. After kicking out Jeremy Corbyn from the Labour Party 2 years ago, Kier Starmer has shifted the party from the extreme Left to the Centre. The UK voter has voted for the centrist version of the party but it remains to be seen if Starmer will stick to the Centre or will it be a case of bait & switch. 4. After WW2, Britain was virtually 100% "white" and now that is so for only 82% of the population (native "white" British people are actually 74% with the rest immigrants from East Europe). In the City of London, currently 46% of its residents are Black and Minority Ethnic. According to the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford, the UK’s minority groups will increase to 40% by 2050 (from 10% in 2006) & the "whites" will become a minority by 2070, reaching 33% by 2100. Does this election signal a change in UK politics?

[@user-eq7mo9st3u]

Well said. I agree to this more or less.

[@HeartistMurali]

Sunak backstabbed Boris Johnson and came to power.....

[@kitkat253]

Don’t know this man, but his assertion that Britain not ready for a Brown, Hindu as PM, is utterly besides the point. Which countries have a non native as the Head of Govt? Millennia of native culture define European countries. Why on earth would a Brown skin of a different faith be acceptable? This has nothing to do with racism. Would this man’s native country have accepted Sonia Gandhi as PM in 2004. His analysis and beliefs are botched and infantile.

[@SarthakBhatia]

Yes India would have. Race has nothing to do with it.

[@riverocean4380]

@@SarthakBhatia Where do you live? Even the native born, highly educated and qualified Sikh PM, Manmohan Singh was labelled as accidental PM ?

[@riverocean4380]

@ kitkat so Is Britain a fake democracy?

[@JSR-n9i]

​@@riverocean4380I think you are a Pakistani. Manmohan Singh even called himself as an accidental PM. 😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜

[@riverocean4380]

@@JSR-n9i Get a life!! Why Pakistani, Why not Chinese? Why are you afraid of your Papa?

[@user-go2tt8od3i]

Reality of Indians, thank you for saying the right perspective.

[@sm9214]

The British voters didn't want their nation to continue as an Indian dominion in disguise. 😂

[@chrphysics9863]

Become nostalgic to see Sir Asis Ray. So much cricket commentary we used to listen from him and Anand Shettlewaj.

[@user-bf6ul8ok1s]

Hindsight is 20/20. Why blame lack of experience? We have to grow out of this mentality else we’ll have 70/80 year olds who refuse to leave office. Sunak was incompetent, plain and simple. Lets accept that as leaders should be judged by the job given to them and not our own motives and agendas. His job was to fix failing economy and failing governance. Not only his conduct was tone deaf he had zero public and social policy skills. Don’t say Britain wasn’t ready. In India, we persecute our Muslim brothers and sisters at the first chance we get they at least gave a dark skin guy a chance. Same is true for London’s mayor.

[@user-vd6bn5ep7o]

Great interview by the two great experts.

[@anandmohan4657]

thanks for the interview

[@Anway-NeverGiveUp]

Shunak shattered, Tories are out and oligarchy is drowning in the rivers of Thames..

[@muhammadaquil2256]

Excellent interview 👍

[@crystaldj12]

Excellent ! Ty so much

[@mariamdaisy1719]

What this guy is doing in Britain.

[@anilkumargupta2458]

I think it's a knowledgeable discussion Thanks dear

[@mshaikh4879]

Very outstanding discussion of Thapar and his guest. My impression is that Britain has voted firstly ethnic diversity , it voted for party diversity at expense of conservative , it voted out too much media demonstrative leaders like sunak and Scottish national party . It has set stage for friction on northern Ireland issues by performance of sien Fein . Now I do not agree with any idea that Britain will or will not side with sikhs openly on khalistan issue , since Arab and Pakistani are fact on ground , new labour leader who has not demonstrated eloquence can resist Kashmir in parliament though Britain and even UN is becoming irrelevant on Kashmir as battle field heats up . Regarding Israel new PM is a Zionist it seems .. New British Pm is a conservative leading a left party. Without oratorial skills he might give opportunity to sunak to grill him .

[@BISWAJITMUKHERJEE-p7j]

An excellent interview, with penetrating questions and very informed reply.

[@aramnaga7881]

Mac Milan border demarcation is the highest achievement of British Admin before leaving India

[@bkatpara]

Britishers give great opportunity to Sunak to serve Cow better and worshipped lot his lord...

[@pardeepparkash398]

I hope Labour's victory here in the U.K can bolster other centre left parties fighting against nationalist right wing governments (& forces)abroad. I just hope Labour can now deliver on it's promises therefore keeping British divisive right wing elements out of power.

[@marylincutes]

Let's see how ruthless Starmer can get...

[@siddhu75]

Labour gets 34% votes and it is a sweep. Same Karan Thapar talks about how 60% of the country voted against BJP when BJP gets 37-38% votes.

[@mariamdaisy1719]

Shahanshah's slogan was 400 paar but someone else crossed 400( did 400 paar) . Dil kay armaan aansuoo me beh gaye 😂

[@ymamdani]

Sunak may be inexperienced But He was the one that destroyed Tory which was long overdue. 15 years of Tory was a hell and deserved to be lost and I hope for ever.

[@Madgoorlore]

Let UK do what they want. Fearless strong journalism pls expose Siddaramaiah's total family asset declared was 51 crorers and his personal was 19 crores! Now he is asking 60 cr for the illegal purchase assets his wife holds!! State BJP is silent!! U don't be silent like BJP pls

[@malianwong]

It is so nice to see that endian man going ,he hasn't been elected by the British people ,so lets hope that Labour which is not a lover of hendutva and hendu fundamentalists will take charge in leading the World in dismantling the global hendutva and push for the freedom of subjugated countries of endia which are kept by the force of arms in that unnatural and artificially created country ,so than Kashmir ,Khalistan,Manipur ,Nagaland and of course Dravida Nadu should be on Labour external political agenda and bring together the US and NATO in the fight for freedom of those subjugated nations...

[@amritpalsingh3293]

Its just 34% of vote. Remember.

[@sankarankarakad7946]

There is malayali MP too

[@ambat7960]

Looks like nobody is able to hold on to power post Covid. Every government is changing. Wonder what that says about the BJP.

[@ExquisiteKorpse]

The BJP govt is on a life support. Modi won’t complete full term.

[@ambat7960]

@@ExquisiteKorpse nonsense.

[@najeebukhan1639]

You look at INDIA rather looking into british politics ..look at human right violations of minorities in INDIA

[@Dadasahab1234]

Wait for more khata khat in 2029.

[@ivanalick5319]

​@@Dadasahab1234kata kat better then joker

[@kanuparmar6109]

Sir Keir congratulation

[@mshaikh4879]

New British PM is lacklustre non glamorous and prognosis is not good in current fast defamation world . Leading a party and leading a noisy nation are different projects . Sunaks early election decision needs serious inquiry . Where Jinnah could not find a party willing to hold him as candidate in 1920s of Great Britain sunak's credit is to make to PM even as a surrogate and actor type school boy PM .

[@user-bd1ce9ml2j]

More than all this - Is Rishi Sunak an upstart who at times even played to the gallery (hindu voters) WILL SUNAK BE DEPORTED TO RAWANDA?

[@ramdev9578]

He can buy the King. Send Harry, the carrot head.

[@ramswaroop9306]

Make interview with pradeep guptha axis my india

[@Dadasahab1234]

Starmer may turn out to be Modi of Britain.

[@monojdas-gupta5918]

He won't be allowed to. Britain is down on the dump but still the political checks and balance is nowhere like India yet.

[@mch4735]

dadabhai, look at how they dumped sunak. NOpe, Bretain is not India. They do something when a leader becomes dictator.

[@sarasumayya3839]

Rubbish arguments

[@pnthrillz]

Starmer will lead to open borders!

[@nishchintservices1959]

Finally! Mr Thapar found a topic other than Narendra Modi 😂

[@mch4735]

Narendra modi gives enough coverage. Just pick up what this dundu said in the parliament!! Evil dundu

[@ramsg9988]

It was lack of vision for the dog(Sunak). Not lack of experience.