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.
Former Conservative PM turns on Sunak amid HS2 backlash – Tory conference latest
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.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
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.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
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.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
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.
Read more:
There’s irony behind Sunak’s long-term vision | Beth Rigby
Sunak’s speech woes are a conference sideshow
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.
Sir Keir Starmer has said stability in the Middle East is “a priority” following US strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, as the world has reacted to the attack.
The prime minister also called on Iran to “return to the negotiating table” to “reach a diplomatic solution to end this crisis”.
Follow latest: Iran considering ‘all options’ after US strikes
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
US strikes on Iran explained
In a statement, Sir Keir said: “Iran’s nuclear programme is a grave threat to international security.
“Iran can never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon, and the US has taken action to alleviate that threat.
“The situation in the Middle East remains volatile and stability in the region is a priority.
“We call on Iran to return to the negotiating table and reach a diplomatic solution to end this crisis.”
The UK was not involved in the strikes but was informed about them in advance by the US, Business Minister Jonathan Reynolds told Sky News’ Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips.
Sir Keir and Foreign Secretary David Lammy had been pushing for a diplomatic solution. On Thursday, the prime minister warned of a “real risk of escalation” in the conflict.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Trump: Iran strikes ‘spectacular success’
The US struck three sites in Iran early on Sunday morning, with Donald Trump boasting the country’s key nuclear sites were “completely and fully obliterated” in an address to the nation from the White House and warned there could be further strikes if Iran retaliates.
Read more:
What we know so far about US strikes
What happens next is largely in Iran’s control
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
‘Trump’s bold decision will change history’
Netanyahu praises Trump
Israel‘s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Mr Trump for the strikes, saying: “Your bold decision to target Iran’s nuclear facilities with the awesome and righteous might of the United States will change history…
“History will record that President Trump acted to deny the world’s most dangerous regime the world’s most dangerous weapons.”
UN secretary-general ‘gravely alarmed’ by US attack
But UN secretary general Antonio Guterres said he was “gravely alarmed by the use of force” by the US against Iran.
“This is a dangerous escalation in a region already on the edge – and a direct threat to international peace and security. There is a growing risk that this conflict could rapidly get out of control – with catastrophic consequences for civilians, the region, and the world.”
Listen to The World with Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim every Wednesday
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas urged all sides to step back and return to the negotiating table. “Iran must not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon,” she said in a post on X.
“I urge all sides to step back, return to the negotiating table and prevent further escalation,” she said, adding that EU foreign ministers will discuss the situation tomorrow.
Cuba’s President Miguel Diaz-Canel. Pic: Reuters
How the world reacted to the strikes
Cuba’s President Miguel Diaz-Canel said on X: “We strongly condemn the US bombing of Iran’s nuclear facilities, which constitutes a dangerous escalation of the conflict in the Middle East.
“The aggression seriously violates the UN Charter and international law and plunges humanity into a crisis with irreversible consequences.”
Venezuela’s foreign minister Yvan Gil said his country’s government “condemns US military aggression” and “demands an immediate cessation of hostilities”.
In a statement, an Australian government spokesperson said Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programme “has been a threat to international peace and security”.
Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Isiba. Pic: Reuters
Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said it is “crucial that there be a quick de-escalation of the conflict”.
Italy’s foreign minister Antonio Tajani said after the attack that his country’s government hopes “a de-escalation can begin and Iran can sit down at the negotiating table”.
The US attack came after more than a week of strikes by Israel, which have significantly degraded Iran’s air defences and offensive missile capabilities, and damaged its nuclear enrichment facilities.
Israel’s strikes on Iran have killed at least 865 people and wounded 3,396 others, according to the Washington-based group Human Rights Activists. The group said of those killed, 365 were civilians and 215 were security force personnel.
Since the local elections Reform UK has had no shortage of good polls.
But a new one suggests Nigel Farage‘s party has a chance not only of winning the next election, but of claiming a decent Commons majority, too.
In February, Reform topped a Sky News/YouGov poll for the first time, with Nigel Farage’s party edging in front on 25%, Labour pushed into second on 24%, with the Tories on 21%.
But a fresh one from Ipsos puts Reform on 34%, nine points ahead of Labour on 25%, with the Conservatives a distant third on 15%.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Zia Yusuf: I sent a tweet I regretted
While the other parties are flatlining, Reform appears to be pushing boundaries.
Were these figures to be replicated across the country at a general election, with every constituency behaving the same way, then Reform could win as many as 340 seats, giving it a majority of 30, Sky News analysis suggests.
Labour could be reduced to 176 seats, down 236 on last year’s election, while the Tories would hit a record low of 12 seats.
But polling should always be taken with a pinch of salt and with the firm acknowledgement that there is not an election coming any time soon.
Conservative backbenchers might also tell you publicly that opinion polls are notoriously difficult to translate into seat numbers because voting percentages in individual constituencies can vary hugely from the overall average.
But the truth is that the symbolism of Reform UK topping another poll is likely to be noticed by MPs from all parties, especially backbench Conservatives who have actively been hoping their leader, Kemi Badenoch, can help them climb the polls and bring the party back into public favour.
Politics is a brutal game and when it comes to toppling underwhelming party leaders, the Tories are more ruthless than most. One wonders how many of these polls Mrs Badenoch’s party will allow her to endure.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Reeves takes aim at Reform UK
Read more:
How did your MP vote on the assisted dying bill?
Starmer tries to contain rebellion over welfare reforms
This poll is also a warning to Labour.
As the party approaches a year since its major victory, it will not have much to celebrate if these numbers are anything to go by.
According to this survey, only 19% are satisfied with the job Sir Keir Starmer is doing as prime minister, with 73% dissatisfied.
And the figure of 25% of voters intending to vote Labour is a level not seen since October 2019.
While abstract to much of the public, polling can often shape not only the chatter inside Westminster but how and when plots by MPs begin.
For Reform UK, this is a much-needed morale boost after a surprise resignation by their former Chairman Zia Yusuf, and then an almost immediate U-turn back into the party.
And Kemi Badenoch – who said during her leadership campaign that the Conservatives needed to go back to first principles and that this would take time – will be wondering, seven-and-a-half months after winning the leadership, how much time she really has left.
Ipsos interviewed a representative probability sample of 1,180 British adults aged 18+, via the Ipsos UK KnowledgePanel. Data was collected between 30 May-4 June 2025.
The impending ban on protest group Palestine Action has divided opinion – described as both “outrageous” and “long overdue”.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is expected to take the step after the group broke into RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire on e-scooters and sprayed two Voyager planes with red paint.
The prime minister described the attack as “outrageous” and a rapid review of security at MoD bases is under way.
It was the latest protest in a five-year campaign from Palestine Action (PA) that has targeted arms manufacturers, financial institutions, political figures and government buildings.
Red spray paint has become its signature.
Damage to planes at Brize Norton
On its website, PA says it is a “direct action movement” committed to ending “global participation” in what it calls Israel’s “genocidal and apartheid regime”.
It adds that it uses “disruptive tactics” to target “corporate enablers of the Israeli military-industrial complex”.
Banning the group would make membership of it illegal. It would be treated as a terrorist organisation.
Saeed Taji Farouky, a spokesman for PA, told Sky News that potential proscription was “unfair”, adding that it was “ludicrous” that a “civil society direct action group” could end up on the same list as ISIS.
He added: “It’s not logical, it’s not even consistent with the British legal definition of terrorism, it’s a reaction that’s been taken overnight, with almost no discussion or debate.
“The whole thing is incredibly worrying, mostly for what it means about British law in general, about undermining the very basis of British democracy and the rule of law.”
There are “no circumstances” under which the two people who breached Brize Norton would be handed over to the police, he said.
Singer-songwriter Paloma Faith, who spoke at a pro-Palestine rally in Whitehall in central London on Saturday, told Sky News she was “devastated” by the move.
Paloma Faith spoke at the pro-Palestine rally
“I have met some of the people who have friends in that group. They are young students and they are basically trying to do something because they feel that our government is failing them.”
She added that “everyone” wants to end what she described as a “massacre” in Gaza.
Israel says its military campaign in Gaza is a way of defending itself against Hamas, which killed more than a thousand people in its 7 October attacks and took about 240 people hostage. Hamas-run health authorities claim Israeli attacks have since killed almost 56,000 people in Gaza.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
What’s happening to Palestine Action?
Faith continued: “When you scribble on something, or paint on it, it’s a non-violent protest and it shouldn’t be made at the same level as a violent protest – it is unjust.”
Ben Jamal, director of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, backed Palestine Action’s use of non-violent protest.
A bank damaged by Palestine Action
He told Sky News: “There has been a place for that in all political movements in history.
“In the struggle for the rights of black people in the US, in the struggle against apartheid in South Africa, in the struggle for women to have the vote, people took forms of non-violent direct action.
“Imagine if we had the current [situation] back in those days – we would have been proscribing the suffragettes, treating them as terrorists.”
There was a pro-Israeli counter-protest in London
Read more:
Analysis: If Israel breaks Iran it will own the chaos
Putin says ‘Ukraine is ours’ and threatens nuclear strike
Others have welcomed the move. Lord Walney, who served as the government’s independent adviser on political violence, told Sky News the decision was “long overdue”.
“Palestine Action have acted as the enemy within which is why it’s right, now, to crack down on them,” he said.
“They have terrorised working people for a number of years and there’s a number of serious violent charges that are going through the court system at the moment.”
The UK government is expected to announce its decision early next week.
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports1 year agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Sports2 years agoButton battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike