Boris Johnson has been elected as the Conservative party leader and Britain's new Prime Minister, his party announced on Tuesday
London: Britain's new Prime Minister Boris Johnson has at least three Indian origins in his key Cabinet posts. Apart from the country's first Indian-origin home secretary Priti Patel, the Cabinet features Johnson's fellow Brexiteer Rishi Sunak, and Alok Sharma.
Johnson has been elected as the Conservative party leader and Britain's new Prime Minister, his party announced on Tuesday (July 23).
Also read: Boris Johnson becomes next UK Prime Minister; promises to ‘deliver Brexit, energise country’
Johnson, the former foreign secretary, secured 92,153 votes against 46,656 of his rival Jeremy Hunt in the battle for 10 Downing Street, which was triggered last month when a Brexit-battered Theresa May announced her resignation amid a mounting rebellion from within the party.
With British Indian Conservative Party parliamentarians Priti Patel, Sunak and Sharma all tipped for frontline jobs in the new Cabinet, Lord Jitesh Gadhia said it signals the incoming prime minister's very different approach to politics and critical issues such as immigration.
"Boris Johnson will appoint the most ethnically diverse Cabinet in British history. This is a big moment and a bold statement by the incoming prime minister. It proves that in modern Britain you can reach the highest office regardless of your background or origins," Gadhia said.
"It also signals the different approach which Boris Johnson is expected to take towards immigration welcoming the best and brightest talent to the UK based on the needs of the economy rather than setting arbitrary targets," he said.
The 55-year-old ardent Brexiteer Johnson is set to take formal charge at the 10 Downing Street when Theresa May's term as a caretaker prime minister will come to an end with her final Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons and then a meeting with Queen Elizabeth II to tender her resignation.
The 93-year-old monarch will then invite Johnson to form the new government, following which he will make his first speech on the steps of Downing Street before heading indoors to finalise his team of Cabinet ministers.
Patel, a fellow Brexiteer alongside Sunak, the son-in-law of Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy, have both been prominent members of the "Back Boris" campaign and are widely expected to be in the top team.
Sharma, a junior minister in the May Cabinet, is expected to be promoted by being given charge of his own ministry.
Pakistani-origin home secretary Sajid Javid, who was among the final six candidates to go head to head in the Tory leadership race and threw his weight behind Johnson after being knocked out, is expected to win one of the top ministerial jobs as well.
The PM-elect's confidants have also indicated that he is keen to redress the gender balance in Cabinet by appointing a large number of female lawmakers.
Gadhia believes Johnson will send out a strong unifying message with the new appointments, expected to be finalised this week before Parliament breaks for its summer recess from Friday.
The peer, who hosted the first India Day in the Parliament last month, also expects that Johnson would be "pro-India" and establish a close rapport for Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"During his leadership campaign, he expressed his strong desire for India to be one of the most important partners for UK on the global stage. Boris was among the first global leaders to congratulate Prime Minister Modi following his recent election victory and welcomed his optimistic vision of New India and looked forward to an even closer partnership between UK and India in the years ahead," he said.
"As Mayor of London, Boris Johnson travelled extensively across India in 2012 and received a warm reception wherever he went. I am confident that Prime Minister Modi and Boris Johnson will establish a close rapport as they have similar optimistic visions for their countries," he added.
Also read: Final hours of voting as Boris Johnson, Jeremy Hunt fight race to become British PM
Read Exclusive COVID-19 Coronavirus News updates, at MyNation.