Perhaps never before has Britain¡¯s South Asian diaspora enjoyed such prominence on the country¡¯s biggest political stage.
During the ruling Conservative Party¡¯s annual conference in Manchester this week, two of the U.K.¡¯s highest-ranking officials highlighted their Indian heritage in efforts to rally the party faithful. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak declared that ¡°I stand before you today as the first non-white leader in our country¡¯s history,¡± and his home secretary, Suella Braverman, acknowledged the ¡°wind of change that carried my own parents across the globe.¡±
But while Braverman contrasted the 20th century¡¯s demographic currents with the ¡°hurricane¡± of migration now bearing down on Europe, Sunak used his family¡¯s migration from India via East Africa to highlight his debt to British traditions. The message was part of a broader effort by the prime minister to reintroduce himself to the country as he prepares to face voters for the first time as the their leader.
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