After the fall of Boris Johnson, many politicians are now racing for the post of the Prime Minister, among them is Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi.
The newly-appointed Chancellor has launched his bid yesterday to replace Boris Johnson in Downing Street and promised to ‘steady the ship’ as Prime Minister, Evening Standard reported.
The former education secretary becomes the third serving Government minister to kick off their campaign for the leadership, after Mr Shapps and Attorney General Suella Braverman declared their intentions, according to Bloomberg.
The 55-year-old’s friends hope to see him become Britain’s first non-white prime minister.
According to report, he wanted to “stabilise the economy”.
“Thanks to Brexit, we are now a free nation. Let’s not just talk about the opportunities that follow, let’s take them.
“If a young boy, who came here aged 11 without a word of English, can serve at the highest levels of Her Majesty’s Government and run to be the next prime minister, anything is possible, ” Nadim said when launching his campaign yesterday.
He also pledged to lower taxes for individuals, families and business, boost defence spending, and continue with education reforms.
According to Finance Time, Zahawi was born in Baghdad Iraq in 1967 to a Kurdish family that fled to Britain when he was just 9. The future education secretary did not speak any English when he arrived, leading his teachers to initially fear he suffered from learning difficulties. He was educated at both state and private schools, before earning a degree in chemical engineering from University College London.
The ongoing PM, Boris Johnson has just recently appointed him Nadim as the new Chancellor despite the possible concerns over his tax affairs.
The Independent reported that Zahawi was investigated by the National Crime Agency (NCA). The investigation did not lead to any action and there is no suggestion of wrongdoing.
The Iraqi – born Nadim is under mounting pressure over his financial affairs. It is reported he is one of the richest members of the cabinet and has a personal fortune of more than £100m.
Zahawi and his wife, Lana Saib, 56, have built an extensive property portfolio, with purchases including a London townhouse, high street properties and an industrial estate.
It was reported on Friday that Boris Johnson might stand down as Prime Minister on Monday.
