Breaking :Rishi Sunak is the new Leader of the Conservative Party and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Cornelius Hamelberg
Cornelius Hamelberg
Mighty Congratulations to Rishi Sunak. Hopefully, equally good for Africa, the Commonwealth, and peace in the Middle East. India and Pakistan, a Merry Christmas and a Happy New year for Russia. Ukraine, NATO, EU, Bola Ahmed Tinubu
Sitting here in Stockholm far from the scene, only listening to BBC, LBC, Sky News, and what’s available on the British media on www.
The unchanging truth is that “ Man proposes, God disposes”, so it has turned out to be another order of reality, far from what I posted here on the 6th of September that “ There’s some talk about Kwasi Kwarteng being appointed next Chancellor of the Exchequer, even as Sunak slinks to oblivion as a backbencher….”
On second thoughts, having given the matter due consideration, Boris Johnson who had flown back home by jet from his Caribbean holiday in the Dominican Republic, magnanimously dropped or popped out of the race, he says in the interests of party unity ( hopefully God too) and country, and Penny Mordauntalso, bravely, at the very last minute also chose to drop out leaving the field open for the lone remaining candidate and on the very auspicious day of the Hindu festival of lights known as
Diwali, having garnered the support of 194 out of 357 Tory Parliamentarians, at 42 years of age, lucky Rishi Sunak enters the Guinness Book of Records, British history and world history as the youngest prime minister of the UK in the last hundred years and the first person of colour, of India/ Asian origin to be anointed the unopposed leader of the Conservative Party and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, at this most difficult moment if the country’s situation and of world affairs…
He moves into 10 Downing Street tomorrow as the head of the ship of state to face a sea of troubles - a disunited party, a broken economy, a hostile opposition, the leader of the Labour opposition Keir Starmer and First Minister of Scotland and Leader of the Scottish National Party Nicola Sturgeon and Sir Ed Davey the leader of the Liberal Democrats, the main opposition parties all questioning the legitimacy of his Sunak’s position and clamouring for immediate fresh general election as soon as possible.
In Sunak’s private address to his party comrades, somehow reminiscent of Saddam Hussein, “ He Who Decides Everything”, he told them what they must have been much relieved to hear: “There will be no general election.” - much relieved of course because if there was to be a general election tomorrow, many of the Tory MPS would lose their seats, and none of them wants to do that, so at this point in time, Sunak is the redeemer who is saving everybody’s ass - but not forever because Starmer and Sir Ed and Nicola Sturgeon who in addition to immediate elections is also demanding a second Independence referendum for the people of Scotland…
It would seem that the opposition would not like Sunak & Party to get together, to settle down and solve all the UK’s problems, including support for Ukraine etc - they would much prefer to press for general elections - now what they see as their advantage since tey would be very likely ( according to opinion polls) to defeat a Conservative party that is still somewhat in disarray.
The good news is that within minutes of the announcement,
The Pound Sterling recovers with Sunak as the new Prime Minister
Cornelius Hamelberg
Amended.
More good news ( and I’m terribly biassed ! ) -
I can understand that Wofa Akwasi is not publicly celebrating. I understand from his input here that he had no great expectations and it’s possible that he was right a few weeks ago but he has to eat his words now and cannot now claim to be disappointed after all the poet sang,
“The slow one now will later be fast
as the present now will later be past
the order is rapidly fading,
and the first one now will later be last
for the times they are a-changing”
What’s inexplicable is that from top to bottom, the rest of the USA-Africa Dialogue Series, all ethnicities, classes, and stations in life have not erupted into a spontaneous joyous celebration about RISHI SUNAK bagging the post of Leader of the Conservative Party and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. After all, his father was born and raised in Kenya, while his mother was born in Tanzania ( like Abdulrazak Gurnah)! I suppose that on the whole, the Pan-African ethos/reaction could have been a little different if Rishi Sunak’s parents had been born and bred in Ghana or Nigeria.
As I said, I’m terribly biassed, happy to learn here that he has retained James Cleverly as the U.K.’s foreign secretary - and one of the reasons why I’m biassed is because James Cleverly ( what a name!) happens to have a one and only mother who hails from Sierra Leone ( smile) you, whoever you are, “see” what I mean?
BTW, I thought that the best things in life were free until I read this:”Nigerian editors and writers as free community labourers” - well, just as I said, you know me, I’m biassed, and I’m not a “Nigerian writer” or “editor”, thank God; but you mean if I were to submit my shorti story to him so that he could “ edit” it, I’d have to pay heavily?
Emeagwali, Gloria (History)
Prof. of History/African Studies, CCSU
africahistory.net; vimeo.com/ gloriaemeagwali
Recipient of the 2014 Distinguished Research
Excellence Award, Univ. of Texas at Austin;
2019 Distinguished Africanist Award
New York African Studies Association
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Harrow, Kenneth
kenneth harrow
professor emeritus
dept of english
michigan state university
More good news ( and I’m terribly biassed ! ) -
I can understand that Wofa Akwasi is not publicly celebrating. I understand from his input here that he had no great expectations and it’s possible that he was right a few weeks ago but he has to eat his words now and cannot now claim to be disappointed after all the poet sang,
“The slow one now will later be fast
as the present now will later be past
the order is rapidly fading,
and the first one now will later be last
for the times they are a-changing”
What’s inexplicable is that from top to bottom, the rest of the USA-Africa Dialogue Series, all ethnicities, classes, and stations in life have not erupted into a spontaneous joyous celebration about RISHI SUNAK bagging the post of Leader of the Conservative Party and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. After all, his father was born and raised in Kenya, while his mother was born in Tanzania ( like Abdulrazak Gurnah)! I suppose that on the whole, the Pan-African ethos/reaction could have been a little different if Rishi Sunak’s parents had been born and bred in Ghana or Nigeria?
As I said, I’m terribly biassed, happy to learn here that he has retained James Cleverly as the U.K.’s foreign secretary - and one of the reasons why I’m biassed is because James Cleverly ( what a name!) happens to have a one and only mother who hails from Sierra Leone ( smile) you, whoever you are, “see” what I mean?
BTW, I thought that the best things in life were free until I read this:”Nigerian editors and writers as free community labourers”
Well, just as I said, you know me, I’m biassed, and I’m not a “Nigerian writer” or “editor”, thank God, but you mean if I were to submit my shorti story to him so that he could “ edit” it, I’d have to pay heavily?
Listserv moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin
To post to this group, send an email to USAAfric...@googlegroups.com
To subscribe to this group, send an email to USAAfricaDial...@googlegroups.com
Current archives at http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
Early archives at http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
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Cornelius Hamelberg
About the U.K
True: “A week is a long time in politics”
Proof: Britain’s third prime minister in seven weeks.
Recent events have been so fast and furious that some people seem to have only a dim recollection that there was a 2019 General Election in the UK
Boris Johnson, the former Lord Mayor of London, led the Conservative Party to victory with an 80-seat majority in the House of Commons, finally got Brexit did & done - signed sealed, and delivered; and, but for some petty scandals, nothing as awesome as Watergate or Monica Lewinsky down on her knees in the Oval Office, Boris Johnson is now out.
It’s a rather weak argument that because it was not Rishi Sunak that led the Conservative Party to victory in 2019, he, therefore, was “not elected” which he was, or “given the mandate to rule” which he has according to the unwritten Constitution unless you want to take King Charles III to the Supreme Court, for appointing Rishi Sunak as the UK’s Prime Minister - really, that kind of “argument” is as spurious as suggesting that when Umaru Musa Yar'Adua passed on, the proper thing would have been to call for fresh elections in Nigeria
Rishi Sunak may prove to be a great Leader and Prime Minister. We can only wish him success in taking on this huge responsibility at this very difficult time with the pile of problems on his plate: the challenges facing the UK-UKraine relations, the economy, healing a fractured party, and the United Kingdom with Scotland howling for a second Independence referendum.
How would you do things differently? In the circumstances, it’s easy to be an upbeat leader of the opposition giving the impression that he has a magic wand ( like the staff of Moses) that will part the sea of troubles, solve all the British people's energy bills, perform miracles with the National Health Service,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKyf-TdJ9gk
Cornelius Hamelberg
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Ibukunolu A Babajide
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Cornelius Hamelberg
It sounds like a good Bible story/an edifying fairytale. Indeed, true or false, another moral of the tale is that one good turn deserves another.
Ironically, and it is probably no coincidence either that today the Good Lord’s financial and other blessings continue to be showered on that nuclear family: Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has a lot of moral capital & collateral in his bank account, a nice wife, a good portfolio of investments, shares, other owned properties, and big businesses, verily he is said to be the richest man in the House of Commons, - not to be conflated with the richest man in the House of Lords
In the short discussion that follows this excerpt of the PMQs on Sky News one of the political commentators tells us that this incident ( in which Labour’s Sir Keir Starmer Starner accuses the PM “ Over the summer he was secretly recorded at a garden party in Tunbridge Wells boasting to a group of Tory members that he personally moved money away from deprived areas to wealthy places instead “ ) is going to be a frequent theme, Starmer's new cash cow when resumes his attacks on Sunak in the coming parliamentary sessions - Robin Hood vs the Sheriff of Nottingham…
Does IBK have any similar edifying stories about Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and Muhammad Buhari?
Cornelius Hamelberg
Gloria In Excelsis Emeagwali.
Re - your intuition that
“ However, the reality is that if Sunak
called for an election he would
lose overwhelmingly to Labor.”
I’m inclined to caution, not so fast dear Gloria. Understandably, your sympathy is probably with the Labour Party who along with the ousted Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn you may wrongly or rightly assume to be the underdog, but after watching this exposé documentary from Al Jazeera
The Labour Files, you could think again.
N.B. Should Sunak increase wages, pensions and benefits to keep pace with inflation, he can lead the Tories into battle and election victory in 2025
You could also follow this interesting discussion kick-started by Shola Adenekan :
“Britain's new Tory government has five leading members who are of immigrant background. As the countdown to the next general election begins, Keir Starmer's Labour Party may want to think about reflecting Britain's diversity on its frontbench. If the Tories can find capable politicians from BME groups, so can Labour:
Rishi Sunak - Prime Minister
James Cleverly - Foreign Secretary
Kemi Badenoch - Trade Secretary
Nadhim Zahawi - Tory chairman
Suella Braverman - Home Secretary”
https://www.facebook.com/sholaadenekan
So can Labour? Have they? Have they ever even had a female leader?
Add to The Conservative’s chances in the next election in two years' time, the magnetic attraction for the UK’s Obama, in the person and personality of Ladies’ man Rishi Sunak. To be sure, in addition to the other ethnic attractions 90% of the UK’s Asians are going to vote for Sunak ( I say 90 and not 100% - because Sadiq Khan of Pakistan is in the Labour Camp and as you know, there’s no love lost between India and Pakistan over e.g. Kashmir. (Similar to tensions between North and South Korea, Israel and the Pals, Israel and Iran, the storm brewing between Saudi Arabia and Uncle Sam )
For now, this is the state of affairs in the United Kingdom these days: An Indian Prime Minister of Britain and a Pakistani Lord Mayor of London. Meanwhile, Sir Ahmed Salman Rushdie CH FRSL is slowly but surely recovering in hospital from that dastardly attack on him, on Human Rights, and freedom of expression……
Take a closer look at Indian and Pakistani Immigration to the United Kingdom. - to be sure, as Messers Khan & Sunak know so well, the old
National Front is not happy about this state of affairs in Merry England, nor is UKIP; you’ve heard the story of what happened when Sunak contested and won his parliamentary seat at Richmond, that 15 % of the pro-Conservative Party’s electorate in that area were so disgusted, they left - went off in a huff, and joined UKIP! You know, Richmond - the King's deer is there etc… whilst living with my brother Patrick, in Putney briefly, I was last there, at the Richmond synagogue for Tisha B'Av on the morning of 1 August 1998 where my old friend Rabbi David Rose conducted the service; I wept profusely and uncontrollably during the reading of the kinot . The kinot can force even a heart made of stone, to break and weep
Power to the people!
If music be the food of love play on :
Vocalist Bhimsen Joshi and Bamboo flute player Pannalal Ghosh
Gloria Emeagwali
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Cornelius Hamelberg
Professor Gloria Emeagwali says that “Scottish Independence forces are taking note” of what’s happening. According to the latest news, so is Northern Ireland and they are not happy with 10 Downing Street and they are not happy with the Northern Ireland Protocol. If Brexiter Rishi Sunak could do something reasonable about it that would be a real breakthrough and a major feather in his hat…
The al Jazeera documentary - The Labour Files - must still be causing some ripples, somewhere. I don’t know. For balance, in addition to following the main UK news outlets, I have also been following UK politics through the prism of Porter's Pensées | History, Left Politics, Academia, Sweden, Hull, and with regard to the al Jazeera documetary, you can judge for yourself what History Professor Bernard Porter, a decidedly anti-imperialist lefty has posted on his blog, about antiSemitism, about Jeremy Corbyn, about Starmer, and of course about all the others, such as Theresa May. Boris Johnson ( he never liked him).
In due time I’m sure that he will be weighing in afresh, on how Rishi Sunak is faring. As far as I understand, if he had been in Sunak’s shoes, he would have probably stabbed Boris much earlier, and maybe called it a " coup de grâce"...
Cornelius Hamelberg
Gloria in Excelsis Emeagwali:
4 U 2 like High UK leftwing Guardian standards, no tortuous & intolerable “highbrow” big grammar or big banana, just some lucid straightforward bitching about Rishi :
More austerity, more division, more decline: Sunak is merely a sequel in a tired Tory franchise
Cornelius Hamelberg
Gloria in Excelsis Emeagwali,
Not looking too good: The UK Economy
Poor Sunak & Hunt, Liz Truss & her Kwasi
Please don’t say you’re happy
Sir Keir Rodney Starmer KCB QC on the attack with “ it’s the Tories been in power for a dozen years and still messing things up !”
Sir Starmer waiting in the wings to take over , at this precarious moment when only bitter medicine will save Ukraine, the British bulldog, the £Sterling..
Listened to the BBC’s Bob Watson’s postmortem on the UK Economy in the deep state of rigor mortis, some of the pundits blaming it all on Brexit
Joe Pass : Ain't Misbehavin'