Rishi Sunak had to counter sharp criticism from a fellow member in the Conservative Party that he wanted to shift to California after causing "irreparable damage" to the party. Sunak angrily denied such reports, asserting that he was committed to the UK and had no intention of shifting his family to the US after the general election on July 4.
Campaigning in Amersham, south-east England, the British Indian leader was taken aback when Lord Zac Goldsmith's comments went around on social media, claiming he had not spoken to the former Foreign Office minister for a long time. Sunak, the 44-year-old father of two daughters studying in the UK, said he had no intention of uprooting his family from the environment they are in.
“I’m surprised that Lord Goldsmith, who I don’t think I’ve spoken to in a very long time, seems to have some sort of intimate knowledge of my family’s arrangements,” Sunak told a group of Tory supporters.
Responding to inquiries about the possibility of relocating to the US, Sunak, who represents Richmond in North Yorkshire, adamantly stated,“Of course not, my kids are at school, this is my home and as I said earlier my football team [Southampton FC] just got promoted to the Premier League so I intend to spend many more happy days watching them at St Mary’s [Stadium].
Sunak's statement follows on the heels of Goldsmith's social media commentary, in which he railed against the supposed damage that Sunak has done to the party and described how he planned to leave for California. But Sunak refused to budge and quashed any such talk of his leaving for the US, saying he loves being an MP and loves North Yorkshire.
“Of course that’s what I’m going to do. I was born and brought up in Southampton, I was raised with a very strong ethic of service to one’s community, that’s what I believe, that’s what I’ve always done.” His remarks came a day after Goldsmith, the brother of Jemima Khan and a staunch supporter of former prime minister Boris Johnson, took to X to react to a post by a ‘Times’ newspaper journalist about there being a “lot of bad blood” among Tory MPs, including Cabinet ministers, about Sunak’s “unilateral decision to call an early election” ahead of an expected autumn poll in October-November.
“I understand the anger towards Sunak who has damaged the Party almost beyond repair and all but guaranteed the majority of his MPs will lose their job next month,” reacted Lord Goldsmith.
“But it’s hard to muster much sympathy given that none of this would have happened without the complicity of a majority of the Party and what is now unfolding was entirely predictable- indeed predicted. The hope is that when Sunak disappears off to California in a few weeks there are at least some decent MPs left around which to rebuild,” he added, with crossed finger emojis.
The ongoing speculation surrounding the Sunak family's potential return to the US, where Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty first met during their studies at Stanford University, has been met with staunch denial by Sunak himself. He has reiterated that in a recent appearance on the 'Loose Women' television show, which he remains committed to his MP role and loves his constituents and home in North Yorkshire.
As the Tory party rank and file become increasingly nervous after the departure of several MPs and fears over electoral prospects, Sunak says he will continue to serve his constituents and denies moving to California.
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