Judge me on my record, not riches, says UK PM candidate Rishi Sunak

Sunak's resignation as finance minister last week helped trigger the fall of the Boris Johnson government

Rishi Sunak, a leading candidate to replace Boris Johnson as Britain's prime minister, dismissed suggestions on Thursday that he was too rich to run the country during an economic downturn, saying he had the experience to take on tough challenges.

Sunak, the former finance minister whose resignation last week helped to trigger the fall of Johnson's government, said he did not judge people by their bank accounts, he judged them by their character and hoped others would do the same.

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Asked if he understood the financial pressures in the country, he told BBC Radio: "When the pandemic hit, I understood full well the impact it could have on millions of people up and down the country."