Akshata Murty’s speech at Tory conference was a bold move that humanised Rishi Sunak
There were no big surprises in the prime minister’s speech at the Conservative Party conference; the big policy announcements had all been thoroughly leaked to the media in advance. But he did have one secret weapon – in the form of his wife, Akshata Murty.
She stepped out on stage in a bright coral suit and heels, a pop of colour against the blue backdrop – beaming across at the delegates and describing herself as “a bit of a surprise addition… and a surprise for my husband too, who has no idea what I’m going to say”.
Number 10 insist this was the case; that Mr Sunak, a man who prides himself on being across the detail of everything, had been left in the dark about the contents of her speech, which we’re told she had written herself.
Mrs Murty is not usually someone who seeks out the limelight, scalded no doubt by the row over her non-dom status and fabulous wealth as the daughter of an Indian billionaire.
Indeed, the controversy surrounding her tax status, when it was uncovered in 2022, was widely believed to have derailed her husband’s hopes of ever standing for the leadership.
She does now pay UK tax on her international earnings, but it’s an ever-present reminder of her status as one of the true global elite, and regularly weaponised by Labour at PMQs to paint her husband as impossibly detached from the reality of the cost of living crisis for ordinary working people.
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But ahead of possibly the biggest speech of her husband’s life – team Sunak decided to take a gamble that the combination of her loving personal tribute and the star power of her glamorous appearance would enhance, rather than detract from the prime minister.
She was impeccably dressed in a £612 jacket and trousers from the British brand The Fold, a favourite of the Princess of Wales.
Mr Sunak is a self-confessed geek, a technocrat whose speeches can sometimes appear robotic or patronising; after days of criticism for his “tetchy” response to questioning about the HS2 decision, he badly needed humanising, and his wife’s introduction painted a very different picture.
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Akshata Murty introduces the PM
The speech was personal and glowing with praise for her ‘best friend’ – “he is fun, he is thoughtful, he is compassionate and has an incredible zest for life”.
Watching offstage, the prime minister seemed quite emotional as Mrs Murty took us back to the early days of their meeting at university in America at the age of 24, and the challenges of long-distance relationships.
But the personal swiftly segued into the political here, as she claimed that she wasn’t attracted by his appearance, but his “deep love” for the UK and “his sincere desire to ensure that as many people as possible had the chance to have the opportunities that he was lucky enough to have”.
After a slightly wobbly start when she seemed unclear about which microphone to use, it was a confident, sweet performance, with jokes about her husband’s love of cheesy romcoms, but not Emily in Paris. Delegates in the hall seemed to lap it up, and she was mobbed on her exit almost as enthusiastically as her husband afterwards.
“Murty’s speech reinforces Sunak as a family man and shows that they are a unit with stability, something which I think many members and voters will be pleased to see,” said political communications consultant Laura Dunn. “It was a bold move.”
But it’s a highly unusual move for a British political leader. The last, and only time a prime minister has been introduced in their spouse was in 2009, when Gordon Brown’s wife Sarah memorably described her embattled husband as “my hero”.
But at the 2010 election just months later he suffered a devastating defeat. For some watching, the parallels were clear: turning to Mrs Murty was a sign of weakness, with an implication that the PM needed to borrow some of his wife’s sparkle to make up for his own lack of charisma.
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The prime minister was introduced by his wife and ‘best friend’
Denis Thatcher – Norma Major – Cherie Booth – Samantha Cameron – Philip May – Hugh O’Leary – all were happy to stay in the background.
Even media appearances have had a chequered history: Philip May gave a joint interview with The One Show which was widely criticised for Mrs May’s division of “blue jobs” and “pink jobs” and him taking the bins out (“a traditional boy job”).
But there are signs Downing Street have been moving towards a more confident public role for the PM’s wife for some time.
She made high profile appearances on his recent trip to India for the G20 – understandable perhaps, given her own citizenship, but it was seen as fairly successful. Mr Sunak said “it was lovely to have her with him” and praised her help in building relationships with other leaders and their spouses.
Last month she gave her first television interview to the Sky Kids programme, FYI, in which she described the power struggle between the family dog Nova and Larry the cat, and talked about the “range of opportunities” that she’d been exposed to since moving into Number 10.
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Akshata Murty: Larry the Cat v Sunak dog
Mrs Murty’s own parents clearly have a close working relationship and partnership; her mother, Sudha helped her husband Narayana to establish the IT firm Infosys, which made their fortune, and they continue to work together on philanthropic projects.
Sudha Murty hit the headlines earlier this year after commenting that behind every successful man there stands a woman – and boasting that while she had made her husband into a successful businessman (and one of India’s richest men) “my daughter has made her husband prime minister of the UK”.
In America, political spouses are always much more prominent, and it’s typical for candidates to be introduced by husbands or wives celebrating their personal qualities.
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But from Michelle Obama and Jill Biden to Hillary Clinton – the role of presidential first lady is much more political, and high profile, than the partner of the UK prime minister. Clinton of course went on to become secretary of state and to seek the presidency herself.
It doesn’t seem that that’s what Mrs Murty is after. But Number 10 say the pair have an “extremely strong partnership” and she is clearly determined to do what she can to help in his uphill battle to stay in Downing Street after the next general election.
“Gatecrashing” her husband’s speech livened up the culmination of a fractious Tory party conference and provided a new insight into what had previously been a relatively private relationship.
And while amongst political opponents the spotlight on Mrs Murty has reignited the conversation about the couple’s vast personal wealth; the gambit here is on getting general voters to look at the PM in a new light.
Going by the number of newspaper headlines her appearance has generated – it’s certainly done that.
A manhunt for a second and third prisoner who were released in error has put further pressure on Justice Secretary David Lammy.
Last month Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, who was serving a 12-month prison sentence for sexual assault, was released in error when he should have been deported.
The Ethiopian national, who came to the UK on a small boat in the summer, spent roughly 48 hours at large before being apprehended in north London and deported.
But it emerged on Wednesday that within days of Kebatu’s mistaken release from HMP Chelmsford, HMP Wandsworth also mistakenly released prisoner Brahim Kaddour-Cherif.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed to Sky News: “Shortly after 1pm on Tuesday 4 November, the Met was informed by the Prison Service that a prisoner had been released in error from HMP Wandsworth on Wednesday 29 October.
“The prisoner is a 24-year-old Algerian man.
“Officers are carrying out urgent enquiries in an effort to locate him and return him to custody.”
The same day Surrey Police put out a public appeal to locate fraudster William Smith, 35, who was also released in error from HMP Wandsworth on 3 November. He had been sentenced to 45 months in prison that day.
Mr Lammy, who was recently appointed justice secretary, is under renewed political pressure.
Hadush Kebatu, jailed for two sexual assaults in Epping. Pic: Essex Police / PA
How many prisoners are released in error?
According to government statistics published in July, 262 prisoners were released in error in the 12 months to March 2025 – a 128% increase from 115 the previous year.
The report states: “Of the 262 releases in error, 233 of these releases in error occurred from prison establishments, while 29 were released in error at the courts.
“Releases in error from establishments could also be a result of errors by the court.”
This is out of a total prison population across England and Wales of roughly 86,000.
Sky News has contacted the HM Prison & Probation Service to know how many of the 262 prisoners have since been found and returned to custody.
In September 2024, Sky News reported how dozens of people released from jail under the government’s emergency prison scheme were freed by mistake.
The Labour government said it was forced to release hundreds of inmates early because prisons were at capacity.
William Fernandez. Pic: PA
Kebatu was due to be deported when he was mistakenly released from HMP Chelmsford.
Previous high-profile manhunts
William Fernandez, who was awaiting trial for sexual assault, was released from HMP Wormwood by error in March 2021. He then went on to rape a 16-year-old girl and sexually assault a young woman.
Joseph McCann. Pic: Police handout
In December 2019, the prisons and probation service “apologised unreservedly” after serial rapist Joseph McCann was freed to commit a series of sex attacks on women and children.
In July 2017, an inmate who was released from prison just months into a nine-year sentence due to a “clerical error” was arrested after weeks on the run.
A man who arrived on a small boat has been sent back to France for the second time in less than two months.
The Iranian man came to the UK on a small boat on 6 August and was initially sent back to France on 19 September, before returning to the UK on a small boat on 18 October.
He has been flown back again as part of the latest tranche of 19 returnees under the “one in, one out” agreement with France.
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The Iranian man told The Guardian he had been a victim of modern slavery at the hands of people smugglers in northern France.
As part of the one in, one out agreement, which came into play in August, 94 migrants who came to the UK illegally on small boats have now been removed.
In return, a total of 57 approved asylum seekers have been brought to the UK.
The man came to the UK twice on a small boat. File pic
Although the UK has sent back more migrants than it has accepted, the two countries have committed to exchange an equal number of people in each direction.
The end of October saw more migrants having crossed the Channel in 2025 than the entirety of 2024.
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Manhunt after foreign prisoner mistakenly released from prison
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said: “Anyone looking to return to the UK after being removed under the UK-France agreement is wasting their time and money.
“This individual was detected by biometrics and detained instantly. His case was expedited, and now he has been removed again.
“My message is clear: if you try to return to the UK you will be sent back. I will do whatever it takes to scale up removals of illegal migrants and secure our borders.”
Fire crews have been tackling a major incident after flooding hit parts of southwest Wales overnight, with people trapped in their homes and vehicles.
Joint Fire Control (JFC), which includes South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, received more than 450 calls within a 12-hour period, mainly in Carmarthenshire, according to Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service (MAWWFRS).
Forty-eight people were rescued from a care home, more than 40 people were helped to safety from flooded homes, three people were rescued from a vehicle trapped in fast-flowing water, and more than 30 dogs were saved from flood-affected kennels at a shelter.
A major incident was declared after flooding at a retirement complex in Whitland in the early hours of Wednesday. At 1.35am, crews were deployed to rescue 48 people using “rescue sleds and water rescue equipment,” MAWWFRS said in a statement.
Pic: MAWWFRS
Three people were trapped in a vehicle in fast-flowing water. Pic: MAWWFRS
Earlier on Tuesday, in the remote village of Ffarmers, fire teams rescued three people and their two dogs who were stuck in a vehicle situated in fast-flowing water.
Fire chiefs said crews used extension ladders to reach the vehicle.
Two further incidents on Tuesday evening involved people being rescued from flooded properties in Ferryside.
Around 42 more people were rescued in nearby St Clears, where about 20 domestic and commercial properties were flooded.
Flood warnings and alerts have been in force across Wales. Pic: Natural Resources Wales
Later the same evening, crews were involved in an operation at Glanrhyd Dog Sanctuary, Kidwelly. Boats were used to evacuated dogs from a shelter which was ruined in the floods.
Owner Alison Clark told Sky News she was “broken beyond belief”.
Crews transported animals from Glanrhyd Dog Sanctuary, Kidwelly, to safety. Pic: MAWWFRS
All the dogs were rescued. Pic: MAWWFRS
“It’s devastating. Everything ruined or lost in the current. All white goods… freezers etc along with dog food, bedding and leads etc.
“We spent 80k on this move to make the sanctuary one of the best and now it is ruined.
“I’m broken beyond belief. My only saving grace is that I kept every dog alive.”
Among the rivers placed on flood warning – where flooding is expected – were the River Towy around Camarthen and between Llandeilo and Abergwili, the River Ritec at Tenby, the River Cynin at St Clears, the River Taf at Whitland and the River Teifi at Llechryd and Cenarth.
Carmarthenshire County Council said a rest centre has been set up in Carmarthen Leisure Centre for those suffering the “severe impact” of flooding in the Whitland and St Clears areas.
Seven schools were closed on Wednesday in the county and the council also confirmed multiple road closures were in place due to flooding or road conditions.
Read more from Sky News:
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Craig Flannery, Assistant Chief Fire Officer at MAWWFRS, said the rescues were “prolonged and challenging”.
“I have personally witnessed the dedication and professionalism of our staff dealing with multiple calls over a prolonged period, as well as the courageous efforts of our operational crews responding to these incidents across our Service area,” he said.
“Our crews have been truly exceptional in assisting and protecting our communities.
“We are also extremely grateful to all partner agencies who have assisted in responding to incidents during a prolonged and challenging period.”
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