Tag: United Kingdom

Rishi Sunak As PM

UK Ex-Home Secy Priti Patel Backs Rishi Sunak As PM

By LokMarg

Former Home Secretary Priti Patel on Monday came out in support of Rishi Sunak taking over at 10 Downing Street as the Conservative Party leader after her former boss, Boris Johnson withdrew from the leadership contest.

“In these difficult times for our country, we must unite by putting public service first and working together. We care about our country and with the enormous challenges upon us, we must put political differences aside to give @RishiSunak the best chance of succeeding,” tweeted Patel.

Notably, earlier she supported former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

“I’m backing @BorisJohnson to return as our Prime Minister, to bring together a united team to deliver our manifesto and lead Britain to a stronger and more prosperous future,” tweeted Patel.

She added that Johnson has the mandate to deliver an elected manifesto and a proven track record of getting the big decisions right.

“I am backing him in the leadership contest,” she said.

However, on Monday she said that the Tories must put political differences aside to give Sunak the best chance of succeeding as the new leader.

It seems now that this Diwali, the UK could get its first Indian origin and Hindu PM Rishi Sunak who is the favorite in the conservative leadership.

Earlier, Boris Johnson ruled himself out of the Conservative party leadership race despite claiming he had the required support. Johnson said he had come to the conclusion “this would simply not be the right thing to do” as “you can’t govern effectively unless you have a united party in Parliament,” reported Independent. ie.

He also added that this was due to the failure to reach a deal with Rishi Sunak and Penny Mordaunt. “I am afraid the best thing is that I do not allow my nomination to go forward and commit my support to whoever succeeds,” he said.

It is pertinent to note that Johnson’s campaign team has earlier told supporters they have secured the 100 nominations needed from MPs for the former prime minister to get on the ballot paper.

The contest was triggered by outgoing leader Liz Truss’s resignation on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Sunak as per media reports had crossed that threshold by Friday night, ahead of declaring his candidacy on Sunday and amassing nearly 150 public nominations from Tory lawmakers.

He is a wealthy Hindu descendant of immigrants from India and East Africa.

Sunak is born in Southampton to parents of Indian descent who migrated to Britain from East Africa.

An Oxford and Stanford University alumnus, Sunak is famously married to Akshata Murty, the daughter of NR Narayana Murthy, the billionaire businessman who founded Infosys.

Earlier in April, reports of Akshata’s non-domicile status and alleged tax evasion had created a furor. Rishi Sunak claimed that she has been paying all taxes.

Her spokesperson said that Akshata Murthy “has always and will continue to pay UK taxes on all her UK income”. (ANI)

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Liz Truss Resigns As UK PM

By LokMarg

UK Prime Minister Liz Truss resigned on Thursday, after being in power for less than two months, stating that she recognizes she “cannot deliver the mandate” on which she was elected.

“I came into office at a time of great economic and international instability. Families and businesses were worried about how to pay their bills, Putin’s illegal war in Ukraine threatens the security of our whole continent and our country has been held back for too long by low economic growth,” she said in a statement.
“I will remain as prime minister until a successor has been chosen. Thank you,” Truss added.

This comes a day after Indian-origin Home Secretary Suella Braverman tendered her resignation, citing “technical infringement of the rules” she committed while sending official documents to a parliamentary colleague.

“Pretending we haven’t made mistakes, carrying on as if everyone can’t see that we have made them, and hoping that things will magically come right is not serious politics. I have made a mistake, I accept responsibility; I resign,” Braverman said in a letter posted on her Twitter handle.

In the letter addressed to PM Truss, she also expressed concerns about the direction of the government and said key pledges made to voters have been broken.

Braverman said she committed “technical infringement of the rules” by sending official documents from her personal email to a parliamentary colleague.

Braverman’s resignation comes less than a week after UK Finance Minister Kwasi Kwarteng was fired after serving for even less than six weeks. Kwarteng was sacked after the new government’s September 23 plan of massive tax cuts resulted in the plunging of British government bonds.

Truss succeeded Boris Johnson as PM last month. (ANI)

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Queen's Funeral

Here’s A Minute To Minute Detail Of Queen’s Funeral

By LokMarg

With world leaders and dignitaries flying from across the globe, and an expected crowd of over 2 million people, the Queen’s funeral will, in all likelihood, be the highest-attended event in the history of the United Kingdom.

Let’s see what will happen at the state funeral – a detailed step-by-step plan for Monday.

According to the New York Times, the funeral will begin at 11 am (London Time). According to Indian time, it will be 4:30 pm.

The Queen’s funeral will take place at Westminster Abbey and according to Buckingham palace officials, The Royal Hospital Chelsea which is a residence for retired soldiers in West London will host a gathering of heads of state and foreign royals before they leave for Westminster Abbey.

New York Times quoted some local UK media reports that claim that many world leaders are unhappy with community transportation because they heard rumours that some of them will get preferential treatment and be permitted to drive their own cars.

Currently, the Queen’s coffin is at Westminster Hall and after 6 am (London time) on September 19, the doors will close to the public. Preparations will thereafter begin for the Queen’s coffin to be moved to Westminster Abbey.

According to New York Times, the Westminster Abbey will open at 8:00 am (London time) for those who have been invited to the funeral.

New York Times also reports that the coffin will be carried in a procession from Westminster Hall to the abbey. The Royal Navy and Royal Marines personnel will be stationed along the way. About 200 musicians, including the pipes and drums of the Scottish and Irish Regiments, will lead the procession. King Charles III and other royal family members will ride in the carriage.

The Queen’s funeral service will be conducted by the dean of Westminster, and readings will be given by Patricia Scotland, the secretary general of the Commonwealth, and Prime Minister Liz Truss. The sermon will be delivered by Canterbury’s archbishop, the Most Reverend Justin Welby.

Two minutes of silence will be observed across Britain towards the end of the ceremony. The service is expected to end around 12 pm (UK time)

After the service ends, a procession will follow the coffin to Wellington Arch in London after which it will be driven to Windsor.

New York Times also revealed that following the funeral, visiting heads of state and government representatives would attend a reception hosted by the foreign secretary.

Now, after the Queen’s coffin will reach Windsor, the hearse will join a new procession on the journey to St. George’s chapel. A committal service will be held there. All members of the queen’s staff, including those who have worked on private estates, will be in attendance.

The dean of Windsor will conduct the service there.

According to the online media portal, The Imperial State Crown, the orb, and the sceptre will be taken off the top of the coffin and placed on the altar by the crown jeweller before the last hymn is sung.

Then, the coffin will be lowered into the royal vault, a burial room underneath the chapel, following the hymn. New York Times quoted a Buckingham Palace release that read, “The Queen is to be buried together with The Duke of Edinburgh”.

The blessing will be pronounced by the archbishop of Canterbury, and “God Save the King” will then be sung.

The funeral service will be private and begin at 7:30 p.m. The dean of Windsor will be conducting it. (ANI)

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Queen's Funeral

Queen’s Funeral Security To Cost Rs 59 Cr INR

By LokMarg

More than USD 7 million (around INR 59 crores) will be shelled out to beef up the security for the Queen’s funeral on September 19.

According to New York Post, protecting Queen Elizabeth’s funeral will be the most expensive single-day operation in UK history, costing over USD 7.5 million.
To secure the unprecedented number of foreign leaders, who are expected at the funeral on Monday, the British Mi5 and Mi6 intelligence agencies, London’s Metropolitan Police, and the Secret Service will work together.

“This is the biggest policing operation that the United Kingdom policing has ever undertaken,” New York Post quoted Simon Morgan, a former Royal security officer, as saying.

“When you look at the other events, they were big — the Prince and Prince of Wales’ wedding in 2011 was the biggest — but in comparison to this, you can’t compare it,” he said.

William and Kate’s 2011 wedding had heavy police deployment. According to New York Post, Police costs for the 2011 wedding were an estimated USD 7.2 million.

London will be covered with heavy security — from marksmen and observers perched on rooftops and observation points, to police dispersed among the crowd — with police and intelligence officers anticipating a “substantial threat of terrorism,” Morgan said.

The online new portal reports that parts of the city are already cordoned off and it’s likely that more streets will shut down ahead of the funeral.

Despite the fact that 750,000 people are expected to attend the funeral — considerably more than at Will and Kate’s wedding — Morgan, who currently oversees the London-based, private international security company Trojan Consultancy, predicted that London will essentially “shut down” for the late Queen’s memorial.

New York Post further reports that extremist environmental activist groups like Extinction Rebellion, which has been organizing large-scale protests across England with the intention of obstructing daily life, are being closely monitored by British authorities.

Royal protection has also been given to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle who lost their right to taxpayer-funded security when they quit their royal duties.

Most dignitaries planning to attend will likely take shared buses, but some, like President Biden, will make their own arrangements. (ANI)

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Queen's Funeral

Nepal FM To Attend Queen’s Funeral

By LokMarg

Nepalese Foreign Minister Narayan Khadka will be travelling to the United Kingdom to attend Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral.

The state funeral for the long-reigning monarch of the United Kingdom will be taking place on September 19.
“Dr Khadka is confirmed to represent Nepal in the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth,” Arun Subedi, Foreign Affairs Advisor for Nepali Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba confirmed to ANI over the phone.

The British Queen breathed her last at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on September 8. Nepal had announced three-day mourning over the passing away of the 96-year-old queen.

The death of the 96-year-old Queen ended a generation-spanning, seven-decade reign that made her a beacon of stability in a tumultuous world. The UK has entered a period of official mourning, with tributes pouring in worldwide.

King Charles III was proclaimed as the new monarch of England on Saturday after his mother Queen Elizabeth II passed away on September 8. Moreover, the national anthem of Britain will now again shift back to “God Save the King” after the Queen’s demise.

UK authorities had devised Operation London Bridge to manage events during the first 10 days between the Queen’s death and the funeral. They had thought of Operation Unicorn in case the queen died in Scotland.

The funeral will be held at Westminster Abbey on September 19 and there will be a committal service in St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. After that, Queen Elizabeth II will be buried in the castle’s King George VI Memorial Chapel. (ANI)

British Monarch

Queen Elizabeth II, Longest Serving Monarch of UK, Dies At 96

By LokMarg

Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-serving monarch of the UK, died on Thursday, aged 96.

“The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow,” the Royal Family said in a statement.

Earlier today, the palace said that the Queen was under medical supervision at Balmoral after the doctors expressed their concern over her health.

“Following further evaluation this morning, the Queen’s doctors are concerned for Her Majesty’s health and have recommended she remain under medical supervision,” the official statement from Palace said.

The Queen was born on 21 April 1926 at 17 Bruton Street in Mayfair, London. She was the first child of The Duke and Duchess of York – who later became King George VI – and Queen Elizabeth.

Buckingham Palace earlier reported that doctors were concerned about the health of Elizabeth II, and recommended that she remain under medical supervision .

If reports are to be believed the British government have a plan Codenamed Operation LONDON BRIDGE, in the event of her death. (ANI)

Queen Elizabeth II Appoints Liz As UK’s New PM

By LokMarg

Queen Elizabeth II on Tuesday appointed the Conservative Party leader Liz Truss as the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

“The Queen received Liz Truss at Balmoral Castle today. Her Majesty asked her to form a new Administration. Ms. Truss accepted Her Majesty’s offer and was appointed Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury,” The Royal Family tweeted.

Truss was elected the head of the UK’s Conservative Party on Monday after defeating former chancellor of the exchequer Rishi Sunak.

Truss became the first prime minister to be appointed by the Queen in Scotland, and not at Buckingham Palace, as tradition requires .

After meeting the Queen, the new prime minister will return to London and speak outside the Downing Street office.

Forty-seven-year-old Liz Truss became the third female prime minister of the UK.

Truss defeated Rishi Sunak through a postal ballot of all Conservative members. She secured 81,326 votes while Sunak got 60,399 votes.

“I am honoured to be elected Leader of the Conservative Party. Thank you for putting your trust in me to lead and deliver for our great country. I will take bold action to get all of us through these tough times, grow our economy, and unleash the United Kingdom’s potential,” Truss wrote on Twitter. (ANI)