AWAY from the world of politics, Rishi Sunak has a far less hectic life at home with his family.
The Prime Minister – who has called a summer general election – shares two children with his wife Akshata Murthy.
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Who are Rishi Sunak’s children?
After getting married in 2009, Rishi Sunak and wife Akshata Murthy have welcomed two daughters.
Krishna and Anoushka are kept away from the public eye, but they do occasionally make an appearance alongside their parents.
They were pictured enjoying a street party on Downing Street to celebrate the King’s Coronation.
The Prime Minister was also pictured alongside his wife and children as they soaked up the sun at the Santa Monica Pier during a holiday to California.
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What has Rishi Sunak said about his children?
As Rishi doesn’t share many insights into his children’s lives, he has only made a few brief comments about the family.
According to the his UK Parliament About Me page, the PM previously joked that his children keep him “busy and entertained”.
Rishi previously revealed that he was afraid to let his daughter go out alone.
The PM said that was why he moved his family out of their Downing Street flat when he was Chancellor.
Speaking in 2022, following a vow to drive crime from the streets he said: ”I come to it as a parent. My eldest is at the age where she’s starting to walk to places by herself or is wanting to.
”That’s why we were not in that flat in that last term when I was Chancellor.
”It was because she was going to start walking to her primary school.
“She turned 11 and then she was allowed to walk to school by herself — which she didn’t end up doing for lots of other reasons.
“But it brings it home to you as a parent.
”I want to make sure my kids and everyone else can walk around safely.
“That’s what any parent wants for their children.”
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Where does Rishi Sunak live?
Mr Sunak’s most famous residence is Number 10 Downing Street – which as been the Office of British PMs since 1735.
Aside from this residence, Rishi’s impressive property portfolio includes homes in other parts of the UK and the United States.
The family spend most of their time in London due to Rishi’s governmental work – where they have a five-bedroom townhouse in the capital.
They also have a mansion located in Richmond, North Yorkshire.
Family means everything to me. So grateful to have the support of my family at yesterday’s event in Grantham.
Rishi Sunak
The PM also owns a flat on Old Brompton Road, Kensington, which is reportedly used for visiting friends and family.
Rishi and his wife also have a family home in California, where they first met as Harvard students in their early 20s.
The PM has spoken about how much he loves spending time wtih his family at home.
Posting a snap of the family on Instagram during his leadership bid, he wrote: ”Family means everything to me.
“So grateful to have the support of my family at yesterday’s event in Grantham.
Why is Rishi Sunak calling a general election now?
By Kate Ferguson, Sun on Sunday Political Editor
So, why has the PM suddenly decided to roll the dice and call a summer election?
The first thing to point out is that No10 was not united on the decision.
One camp, led by the Tory Party’s chief strategist Isaac Levido, had urged the PM to “go long” and wait until October or November to hold an election.
This would give them more time to show the economy is improving and let the Bank of England cut interest rates, they argued.
This in turn would let banks cut mortgage rates, which are currently crippling family budgets.
Only then would people start to feel financially better off.
But another team, led by the PM’s Political Secretary James Forsyth, have been pushing for a summer election.
Now, it is important to note that James is Rishi’s best mate.
They have known each other since school, are godparents to each other’s kids, and Rishi was best man at James’ wedding.
They are more than just political colleagues. They are besties.
Anyway, James’ camp reckons Rishi can now finally show he is achieving all five of the priorities he set out when he became PM.
These are – halve inflation, get the economy growing, get debt falling, cut NHS waiting lists and pass new laws to stop the boats.
On the economy, the PM will point out that growth is up, wages are rising and inflation is down to 2.3 per cent – almost bang on target.
NHS waiting lists also dropped for the fourth month in a row, according to official figures out last month.
And on stopping the boats, the PM has managed to pass laws enacting his flagship Rwanda deportation plan.
The thinking is – strike while the iron is hot and you can put five big ticks by your promises.
But there is also grim news for No10 that has nudged them into calling a summer election.
Their flagship Rwanda Bill has passed parliament and is now law. But hopes they will get a flight off the ground this year are fading fast.
Northern Ireland’s HIgh Court ruled that the plan breached human rights laws and therefore should not apply in NI.
This paved the way for English laws to also reject it.
Meanwhile, small boat crossings are going up again.
A whole summer of damaging headlines showing boats on the shores of Dover will only feed a sense that No10 does not have a grip.
Rishi is famously straight laced.
He doesn’t drink, he has never taken drugs, and he is not a gambler.
But he has staked it all on a July 4 election.
Will he come up trumps? Or will he lose it all?
