Why is Sunak entering no 10 without his family supporting him?

[Dinaprettyballerina]

Genuine question or maybe they want to stay completely out of the limelight? Feel a tad sorry for him, he looks so excited:(

Did anyone say he came from a humble background? As such?

privileged upbringing

I don’t think 2 hardworking parents in professional roles makes you privileged actually, no. It might make you a middle income family. But not privileged. His parents were 2nd generation immigrants in this country, not privileged to me.

His wife is Uk resident non domiciled isn't she? So there are specific tax rules for this.

She won't have to leave after 90 days as another poster suggested.

There are double tax treaties between the Uk and so many countries. If she's paid taxes in India and other places then she's done nothing wrong legally.

Tax avoidance is legal. Some pension schemes are classed as tax avoidance. ISA's are technical tax avoidance.

Tax evasion is illegal.

But this is by the by.

I'm shocked at some of the blatant racism and jealousy I've seen online about the new pm.

Surely any politician would be the same? Not that it's right. But surely anyone who's in politics has had a bump up somehow?

Whether that be education or money.

Why shouldn't the pm and his wife choose to send their kids to what they believe to be the best schools ? If they can afford it why not? I would if I could.

So, please describe a privileged upbringing.

There’s all kinds of privilege in society. The meaning is technically:

an advantage that only one person or group of people has, usually because of their position or because they are rich

His upbringing to me, does not match that definition. His parents worked very hard, both of them, in demanding jobs, to send him to school. Plenty of people have the same opportunity to do that. They weren’t in a privileged position that led to that. At all. Now, marrying someone who is a multi millionaire, he will experience wealth privilege. Neither of them earned the money her father has gifted her by giving her a share of his company. Growing up she was raised by her grandparents while her parents worked at their business. They both have had lives where their parents worked really hard, both sets Asian so being successful was always much harder for them. Especially for Rishi’s family in UK where it’s quite racist. As we can see especially now. Now they experience both privilege and prejudice because of their wealth.

These things are not simple yes or no question and answers. The topic of privilege is complex. Anyone who just thinks, private school, parents professionals = you’re privileged, hasn’t had much life experience, or is very ignorant.

I’ll give an example of someone who I think experiences enormous privilege and gets opportunities because of his parents, not because he worked hard. Brooklyn Beckham. Those grubby little hands are not chefs hands! Or photographers! Nor is he model material 😂

Privilege is really misunderstood nowadays. It has become something which ambitious people strive to achieve rather than a birth right. Rishi was not privileged except after her married a privileged woman. The private schools have always been full of Asian GPs kids. Infact, since plumbers and builders became wealthy members of society, they are increasingly represented too.

I would say my mother's family are actually privileged. Town and country piles, servants and other house staff, sons attending the same boarding schools through several generations, a life spent dressing in chic bespoke outfits and attending uncool but exclusive events with people exactly like themselves etc.

Because running the country is HIS job just now and as girls and women they do actually have their own stuff to do (their own jobs education careers or whatever they wanted to be doing)? Because they as a family have decided that the rest of the family and in particular the children will be kept out of the public eye?

@Croque the most expensive private schools are now filled with the dc of very wealthy, very ambitious Asian, Nigerian & Russians. These kids are also very intelligent & ambitious. The average British toff just can't & will not be able to compete.

the most expensive private schools are now filled with the dc of very wealthy, very ambitious Asian, Nigerian & Russians.

Is this true? St Paul’s Girls doesn’t have many black or Asian pupils. It’s very white. Maybe recent last few years the intake is different. No Russians either.

Rishi was not privileged except after her married a privileged woman.

Rishi went to a school which charges £35K a year for day students (not even boarders - that’s more!). How is that not privileged? It certainly is in relation to the vast vast majority of people he represents as PM.

Wycombe Abbey, Downe House & Marlborough all have an international cohort & are very high achieving.

I agree. My DC's school friends are primarily Asian (Indian and Chinese) . I don't hear about Nigerians or Russians - maybe one or two in each cohort. The local grammar schools are also primarily Asian. My DCs are culturally pan European (not British) so they feel very much at home.

However, this is only applies in/around the big cities. There are still plenty of all-white boarding schools in idyllic country settings. Some of my DCs friends tried them out but left due to homesickness and lack of things in common.

@Croque the Nigerians & Russians are largely represented too & would be akin to the Asians in regards to academic drive. My ds1 bf has Nigerian parents the dad works in finance & his mum is a sahm whose time is completely devoted to the dc, their education & extracurriculars. The kids are also the most polite, charming kids, we love having them to tea. The mum must be exhausted with all the running around but obviously her job at the moment is raising 3 very high achieving kids. Us uk parents in the school feel like complete slackers!

Rishi went to a school which charges £35K a year for day students

Im aware. One of my kids did too, as a bursary student. They are autistic and we didn’t get offered a place at a state school, this school offered one to us and the other parents paid for that, her autism diagnosis and her extra sports, plus her books and trips. Is my kid privileged just because they went there? Because other people paid for it so how do we place that in our hierarchy of ‘privilege’. What a world we live in where we first must dissect someone’s entire life to see where they come on the privilege scale and what job they should deserve based on that and even, what kind of person they are. It’s so revolting, and it does nothing to help actually disadvantaged people.

Wycombe Abbey, Downe House & Marlborough I know. It’s just a few examples though and St Paul’s is the top girls school

I absolutely LOVE the fact that my DCs are absorbed into the Asian bubbles at school. These kids are incredibly hard working and focused. It has had a positive impact upon my DCs work ethic. I don't ever have to tell them to do their homework because they will automatically meet up with one friend or another and sit down together to study. The Asian kids never indulge in secret drinking or partying (or the rest!) so there is a number of undesirable peer pressures which are eliminated. They make my life very easy indeed.

It doesn’t matter which school he attended or his children attend. It doesn’t matter if he’s rich, his wife’s rich or his parents. The colour of his skin, his religion or anything else we seem to be obsessing over is irrelevant.
But he is the PM for the whole country , the majority of which now can bearly feed and heat themselves or are at least worrying about it.
What he does now is important, what his wife has done in the last few years regardless if legal or not does not sit well with a substantial amount of people. (She may have changed this now but only after extreme scrutiny from the public)
I honestly think he was the best out of a small limited bunch, let’s see what he does next.

the majority of which now can bearly feed and heat themselves

Is that actually true about 60% of people? Or is it rhetoric to make a point?

@MarshaMelrose maybe not the feeding themselves, but some are struggling to do both already. I think the majority of the country will be finding it difficult by the end of winter with electricity, gas and mortgage prices drastically rising. You just need to see the many posts on here about it.

That's a fair answer, @DonnaDonna0. I think most people will be careful and moan about it. How many people will actually be unable to afford heating at all, though, is a different matter.

But it is a worry. I've not been at home for a month so I've used no gas or electricity and my DD has been put up to £195. Based on what? Not usage that's for sure. Based on last year's usage I should be paying £166 DD. I have to ring them to sort it out but this is a company issue that I reckon hundreds of thousands will be caught out by.

'Rishi was not privileged except after her married a privileged woman.'

Cocklodger?

Why does someone being 2nd generation immigrants to the UK automatically mean someone isnt privileged?

Why does someone being 2nd generation immigrants to the UK automatically mean someone isnt privileged?

I don't suppose it does but does being a pharmacist give you a privileged lifestyle? My aunt was a pharmacist in the 50s and 60s in Boots. She's in her 90s now and she's fabulous, but she definitely didn't have a privileged lifestyle. And I went to school with two daughters of GPs in the 70s and they didn't seem to have a more privileged life than me. Maybe a bigger house, but holidays, etc, were about the same.

However, maybe Sunak was privileged because his parents made decisions, did overtime, put up with certain deprivations so they could fund his education at Winchester? But that doesn't mean he came ftom a privileged background.

@MarshaBradyo he had two highly educated parenta who valued hia education. That alone is a huge privilege.

SOme of the posters on here are unbelievable! Trying to argue that going to a school like Winchester, does not make him privileged !!

The argument here seems to be that if you want to be PM you must not have been privately educated or be wealthy. Your children must not go to private schools. You must have experienced significant poverty personally. Your spouse and children must stand beside you mutely in ‘support’ when appointed. It beggars belief.

Oh, and your ears must not be too big, you must not be too tall, and for some you must not be descended from immigrant parents. 😟