Who is Rishi Sunak? Meet the new Chancellor as he delivers his first Budget

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Rishi Sunak was appointed as the Chancellor of the Exchequer after Sajid Javid resigned amid Boris Johnson's Cabinet reshuffle in February.

Mr Javid, also a former Home Secretary, stepped down when Mr Johnson demanded that he sack his entire team of special advisers. Other senior politicians, including Andrea Leadsom, Esther McVey and Geoffrey Cox, were sacked by the PM in the major Cabinet shake up.

The PM later appointed Mr Sunak to head up the Treasury. It came just weeks before his Government was due to unveil its first Budget.

The new 39-year-old Chancellor, who was dubbed a "rising star" in the Conservative Party, will unveil the Budget 2020 in the Commons at 12:30pm today.

Here, we take a look at Mr Sunak's political career in more detail.

Sajid Javid has been replaced as Chancellor by Rishi Sunak
PA

Who is Rishi Sunak and what has he done in his political career so far?

Mr Sunak, 39, took up the post after Mr Javid resigned.

He had previously served as Chief Secretary to the Treasury and Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson, flanked by Rishi Sunak
POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Mr Sunak won the seat for Richmond, Yorkshire in 2015, taking over from former Foreign Secretary William Hague, who stepped down.

Ahead of the 2016 EU Referendum, Mr Sunak was vocal in his support of the Leave campaign, controversially stating that Britain did not "need" a free trade agreement with the EU post-Brexit.

He was then re-elected in the 2017 General Election, with an increased majority of over 23,000 votes, and also voted for Theresa May's Brexit withdrawal agreement.

Again, Mr Sunak secured his Richmond seat in the recent 2019 election, before being appointed as Mr Johnson's Chief Secretary to the Treasury in July that year.

Mr Sunak also became a member the Privy Council on July 25.

On February 13, 2020, he replaced Mr Javid as Chancellor.

What Budget 2020 challenges does Rishi Sunak face?

Mr Sunak faces a tough challenge as he brings in his own changes to Mr Javid's work before February 13.

This budget also needs to satisfy the needs of several very different audiences.

These range from traditional Labour voters in the Midlands and the north of England - who gave the PM his 80-seat majority - to traditional Tory voters, the financial markets and foreign governments.

The Conservatives have promised that the Budget's main focus will be following through on election pledges to reduce the economic inequality between the south and the north.

It also comes after the FTSE 100 saw its worst day since the 2008 financial crisis amid Covid-19 concerns.

Why did Sajid Javid resign?

Mr Javid quit in Mr Johnson's February reshuffle following months of tensions between Downing Street and the Treasury.

It came to a head when the PM's chief special adviser Dominic Cummings fired one of Mr Javid's aides, Sonia Khan, without his permission.

Mr Johnson promised to keep Mr Javid as chancellor after the general election in December.

However, in weeks leading up to the reshuffle, media reports suggested that a new rival finance ministry could be established with Mr Sunak at the lead to reduce the power and political influence of the Treasury.

Mr Javid resigned as chancellor on February 13, the day of a cabinet reshuffle, following a meeting with the PM.

Mr Johnson had offered Mr Javid a chance to keep his position on the condition that he fire all his advisers and replace them with ones selected by Downing Street but he refused and quit.

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