The week up to 4 July is crucial for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s party and his own political career. As the exit polls expect a shrinking chance of Conservative victory, the Prime Minister has also been predicted by a certain survey to lose his own seat in Richmond (Yorks) and Northallerton. He had reportedly won his seat in Yorkshire with 63.3% of the votes in 2019. His constituency boundaries have not changed much since then. Despite different contradicting surveys, it is still believed, he remains the favourite to win there, but he may have a tougher fight on his hands.
As Britain’s first Prime Minister of Indian heritage, Rishi Sunak integrates his Hindu faith into his daily life, with a shrine in No 10 for family worship and a Lord Ganesha statue on his desk – and now a statue of Lord Hanuman may join that collection. His commitment to his faith guides his role as the Prime Minister, which he views as his ‘dharma’, a Hindu concept that emphasises fulfilling one’s duty without focusing on the outcomes, which he explained in a recent interview to The Times and Sunday Times. This principle, he admits, is challenging but provides him with the strength to face difficulties and find fulfilment in doing what he believes is right. And despite potential frustration over the public’s lack of recognition for his efforts to stabilise the government following Liz Truss’ brief tenure, PM Sunak reiterated his commitment to his ‘dharma’.
In recent weeks, his party has faced significant challenges, culminating in accusations that he insulted war veterans by leaving the D-Day commemoration early.
Among betting scandals, mounting pressure to address and dismiss people, and overall, a low morale among the party members, the Prime Minister has still been seen to keep his chin up and look ahead with resoluteness and positivity.
On Saturday 22 June, the Prime Minister paid a visit to Shree Kutch Satsang Swaminarayan Temple in Harrow area, accompanied by local MP Bob Blackman.
During his visit to the temple, he spoke about importance of family, values, hard work, higher education and service, as he addressed the gathering of around 400 people.
In a quick interview with Asian Voice at the Temple premises, the Prime Minister EXCLUSIVELY spoke about his faith, regrets, determination and future plans.
Q: You have been an example - an inspiration for many in the Asian community. You as Britain’s first ever Asian Prime Minister have possibly opened the doors for many political aspirants in the diaspora. We also know as a Hindu, you believe in karma and dharma, and generally keep a positive attitude, despite all the criticism and backlash. But, has there been any regrets in the last 18 months as the Prime Minister?
I wish we'd made more progress on tackling NHS waiting lists. I come from an NHS family. I'm very committed to making sure the NHS is there for everyone when they need, and it has been a challenge recovering from Covid. We're putting more money in. We're hiring more doctors and nurses, and the waiting lists are finally starting to come down. If we stick with the plan, I'm confident that we can continue to make good progress.
Q: You have been repeatedly attacked for being rich, especially at the Leaders’ debates. As an immigrant, your family including yourself have worked so hard to reach where you have. And your success story is like many from the community, who may not be in the limelight. That does not make you any less compassionate as a human being trying to help all equally in the country, especially the underprivileged. Why have you never presented your case like a winner?
People can judge me about my actions, and you saw that in the pandemic. I wanted to make sure we helped and protect the people through it. I do believe in a country where if you work hard and want to provide a better life for your children, that's not something to apologise for. My parents worked hard to provide a better life for their children, and I'm enormously grateful to them for that. And so many people are like them. They're hardworking, aspirational, and I actually think that's what our country is like. And I want to have a government which supports people's aspirations to build a better life for themselves, whether that's buying their house, setting up a business, or sending their kids to a particular school. These are all things that if people are working hard to do, they should be applauded for, and government should be on their side, not saying that they're doing something wrong.
Q: None of the political parties have been particularly interacting with the British Asian communities to understand their needs and sentiments. As various think tanks have told us, it appears that these voters are still undecided as to who to vote for and looking for a compelling case. How will you urge this almost 5.6 million voters to vote for the Conservatives?
There's a really clear choice for everyone at this election. And I'd urge everyone you know, don't sleepwalk to 4 July. Think very hard about what a Labour government would mean for you and your family's security. Most people I meet are working incredibly hard to build a better life. It's been a tough few years, and I want them to know that if I'm re-elected, I'm going to keep cutting their taxes, making their hard work much more rewarded, making it easier for them to set up their business, become self-employed and easier to buy their first home, as we abolish stamp duty to support them; when they have kids by expanding child benefit and making sure that pensioners are protected, as well with a tax cut - that's what I'm about.
I'm about a society where people who are working hard, who are doing the right thing, get their taxes cut. If Labour is in office, everyone's taxes are going up across the board, council tax, your house, your car, your pension, you name it. Keir Starmer and the Labour Party are going to tax it more when you're working so hard to build a better life for you and your family. The Labour government taking that away and taxing it, is not going to make your life easier, and people really need to think about that choice.
Can they really afford to pay thousands of pounds in higher taxes when they are working hard to provide a better life for their family? Because Labour doesn't understand that type of aspiration.
Q: Do you think the Conservative Party’s internal divisions and problems have adversely affected your impression as the leader of the party, your tenure at No 10 as the PM and your own political career?
It's been difficult few years and I appreciate that. I can see that people are frustrated, but what I would say is, this is not a by-election. So even if you're frustrated, you really must think about the choice. If Labour is in power, your taxes are going up. I've been there for 18 months. I can't change the history before then, but I can tell you what I've done in 18 months, and we've got inflation back from 11% to 2%, the economy is growing, wages are rising, bills are falling. Interest rates are on the verge of now being cut. Mortgage rates to come down. We can build on that progress and keep cutting taxes and making sure that everyone's financial future is secure. Don't throw all of that away because you're frustrated about things that have happened in the past. I've been here for 18 months. I said I would restore economic stability. We've done that. I said I would cut your taxes. We're doing that, and we'll do more of it, if I'm re-elected.
Q: If the Conservative Party does not win a majority but secures close to a majority, will you consider forming a coalition government with any other party, example Reform? Yes/no and why?
I'm focused on winning this election. I'm fighting hard for every single vote, and that's what I'm going to do till the last day. And a vote for anyone who is not a Conservative candidate is just a vote to put Keir Starmer in Number 10. And if you do that, you're not going to get your taxes cut, your pension is going to be raided- it's not going to be protected. We're not going to get a proper control of our borders. We're not going to invest more in our security. And he's not someone who understands aspiration and people who are working hard to build a better life for their families. And your taxes are going to go up, and I don't want that to happen. So just vote Conservative.
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Prime Minister joins devotees at Shree Kutch Satsang Swaminarayan Temple in Harrow
It was a crispy and warm summer morning with intermittent drizzles. The devotees attending early morning satsang and prayers on Saturday 22 June at the Shree Kutch Satsang Swaminarayan Temple were asked to stay back for a surprise VIP visit. The Mandir was filled with 400 devotees, some singing bhajan or volunteering in the kitchen cooking ‘Maha Prashad’ or others preparing rooms for the important visit later in the day. Volunteers stood outside the temple, gently guiding the visitors through the entrance or giving specific directions to their questions.
As Prime Minister Rishi Sunak with folded hands walked into the temple, along with Bob Blackman MP on his side, he touched the feet of SGVP President Swami Shri Madhavpriyadasji, while almost 200 devotees clapped and rejoiced.
The Prime Minister waved at the devotees and walked up to the main deity for an aarti, escorted by temple leaders Sureshbhai Rabadiya, Rickinbhai, committee members and volunteers. He was then garlanded, blessed and presented with many gifts and mementos, as Swami Shri Madhavpriyadasji welcomed him to the temple describing it as a ‘home for its devotees built by the devotees’.
The PM was also gifted with a Lord Hanumanji murti (idol) by Dr Sant Swami of Sarangpur Temple, which the Prime Minister promised to keep on his desk for strength and courage, especially when he chants Hanuman Chalisa.
Addressing the congregation, the Prime Minister praised Bob Blackman MP and his continued devotion towards his constituents who are largely British Hindus. Addressing the audience, PM Sunak talked about the importance of family values and how one should ‘never apologise for championing families.’
He explained, “Values matter more than policies and everything else that you might hear. My values and your values are the values of our party, and it starts with a family…
“It's about all the other wonderful things you do to make this environment where a community is enriched. That's what's special about what you have today….”
He also talked about ‘other’ values such as higher education, service and hard work, and how it resonates with the Conservative government’s policies. “All of us know you don't get anywhere in life without working hard,” he said. “What you need is a government that understands that hard work should be rewarded, and supported and celebrated, because that's how you build a better country, a better society. We understand the power of higher education. That's how my life was transformed. That's how many of your lives, our children's lives, are transformed. So, making sure that our schools provide the best possible opportunity for our young children to build their lives themselves is fundamental to who we are as people, as a country, as a society, and again, we're a party that understands your aspiration. We'll focus on high standards in our schools, making sure that people go to the best possible schools, because that's the best way to find opportunity and reduce inequality. So those are our values- family, hard work, service, the power of education and those are our party's values too…
“I love this country for what it has done. Like many of you, your ancestors, my grandparents, emigrated into this incredible country, and just two generations later, I sit here as the Prime Minister. I don't think my story would be possible in any other place in the world…”
He referred to Narendra Modi’s visit in 2015, then Prime Minister David Cameron’s speech at the Wembley Stadium addressing 40,000 people from the diaspora and promising a British Asian Prime Minister in the future, while he sat as a backbench MP. The Prime Minister then moved on to the upcoming general elections and concluded by thanking everyone for their support. He said, “I will work every day as hard as I can to make all your lives better, to make everyone in our country's lives better, so we can ensure that our children grow up and know that they have a bright future ahead. We will build an extraordinary future for them. It is an extraordinary country built on the values that we all here hold dear.”
The event was also attended by local councillors such as Cllr Kantibhai Rabadiya, Nitesh Hirani, Anjana Patel among others.
