Diaspora (Commonwealth Union) _ Rishi Sunak, once celebrated by Britain’s Indian diaspora, now faces their growing discontent due to escalating living costs and economic stagnation, casting a shadow over his prospects in the upcoming general election. For over 18 months, the Labour Party has maintained a 20-point lead in polls, indicating Britons’ fatigue with Conservative rule. Recent surveys suggest that Sunak may even lose his own seat.
The Indian diaspora, representing 2.5% of Britain’s population, could significantly influence the election outcome given their current dissatisfaction. Ashwin Krishnaswamy, a UK-based tech investor, noted that the broader diaspora is aligning with the anti-Tory sentiment, advocating for a change in government. He attributed this to rising living costs and lackluster economic growth, which have highlighted the Conservatives’ failure to boost wealth creation.
This disenchantment was evident in May’s local elections, where Sunak’s Conservatives lost control of 10 councils and over 470 council seats to Labour. Despite promises to fix the economy and improve public services like the NHS, Sunak’s snap election campaign has struggled to gain momentum. Priyajit Debsarkar, a London-based Indian author, pointed out that frequent leadership changes within the Conservative Party have undermined public trust in their stability.
Sunak, the first British Asian Prime Minister, has seen the initial euphoria surrounding his leadership fade due to unmet promises, such as addressing the cost of living and the NHS crisis. Since late 2021, essential goods’ prices have surged faster than incomes, leading to a cost-of-living crisis. Sunak’s personal background includes a successful career in finance and his election to the House of Commons in 2015, where he supported Brexit.
Despite hopes that Sunak would remedy Britain’s post-EU economic issues, GDP growth has been minimal. Public dissatisfaction extends to underfunded health services, with ongoing protests by doctors over pay disparities. Traditionally, Labour had stronger support among British Indians, but this has waned with a wealthier, educated diaspora leaning towards the Conservatives until now.
Labour leader Keir Starmer has projected stability, resonating with voters burdened by rising living costs. Supriyo Chaudhuri, CEO of e1133 Ltd, highlighted that housing affordability has worsened, with new immigrants struggling to buy homes. Chaudhuri criticized Sunak for neglecting public services and failing to spur business dynamism.
Cedomir Nestorovic, a geopolitics professor, emphasized that solving economic challenges is crucial to gaining voter support. He argued that facilitating job and salary growth is essential a goal not achieved under Sunak’s tenure.
