As Rishi Sunak prepared to deliver a major policy speech on Wednesday in Manchester, the British Prime Minister received a surprise introduction from his “best friend”: his wife Akshata Murty.
The 43-year-old media-shy Murty, the daughter of Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy, took the stage at the annual Conservative Party conference just before Sunak was due to speak, telling gathered party members about what drives her husband and joking about his love for romantic comedy films.
Akshata Murty claimed her husband, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, was unaware of her “gate-crashing” as the warm-up act to the centrepiece of the annual conference and that her decision had also surprised their daughters, Krishna and Anoushka.
Some British netizens, however, said Murty’s speech lacked gravitas because she ‘dodges’ taxes.
When Sunak was finance minister last year, he faced questions over his wife’s tax status, leading her to decide she would stop avoiding British tax on her foreign income.
Akshata Murthy is accused of using her non-domicile status to save millions.
The couple are the richest ever occupants of 10 Downing Street. Murty owned shares in Infosys worth roughly $600 million as of April. Akshata is an Indian citizen, which entitles her to not pay taxes on her overseas income in the UK.
“She (Akshata Murty needs to come and talk to some of us who he threw under the bus with no support during Covid because ‘they are not likely to vote Conservative anyway’,” said an X user about the UK First Lady’s speech.
While Murty has appeared with Sunak on diplomatic trips this year, including to India (for the G20 Summit) and Japan, she has rarely taken centre-stage at a major event.
“Rishi and I met when we were 24 when we were both studying abroad in America. Right from the very beginning, I was struck by two things about him…his deep love for his home, the United Kingdom, and his sincere desire to ensure as many people as possible have a chance to have the opportunities he was lucky enough to have had. It completely energised him. Being with Rishi was the easiest decision of my life,” she said.
“The reason why I’m here is really quite simple. And it’s because Rishi and I are each other’s best friends. It gives me the greatest pleasure to introduce you to a wonderful father, my best friend and your Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak,” she began as Sunak watched from backstage, adding that her own speech was a surprise to her husband.
“We’re one team, and I could not imagine being anywhere else than here today, with all of you to show my support to him and to the party.”
“I’m afraid he does love a good rom com. The cheesier, the better, even,” Murty said to applause at the start of her speech. “You’ll be relieved to hear that episodes of Emily in Paris are not informing his outlook on the EU.”
Akshata Murty told the Conservative conference that what most drew her to her husband was his “honesty, integrity and firm understanding of right from wrong”.
With inputs from agencies
