Wednesday 5 October 2022 10:04 PM Rishi Sunak takes daughter to London premiere of Matilda the Musical after ... trends now
Rishi Sunak was all smiles today as he took his daughter to the London premier of Matilda the Musical while avoiding the fractious Conservative Party conference - allowing new prime minister Liz Truss to 'own the moment' following her recent mini-budget shambles.
The former chancellor gave a thumbs up to photographers as he cut a casual figure at the BFI London Film Festival in Southbank, donning a relaxed dinner jacket, grey chinos and black trainers as he held hands with his beaming daughter Anoushka.
The ex-banker, 42, was a world away from Ms Truss's troubles as he shared the red carpet with the likes of Dame Emma Thompson, comedian Tim Minchin and actor Stephen Graham at the Royal Festival Hall.
Mr Sunak chose to take his daughter Anoushka, who he shares with his billionaire heiress wife Akshata Murthy, 42. Together the couple were estimated to be worth more than £720m by this year's Sunday Times Rich List, bolstered by Ms Murthy's £600m worth of shares in her father's Bangalore-based IT firm Infosys.
Today's Matilda premiere was just a 20-minute drive from the family's £1million flat in Kensington - one of four homes that make up their impressive property portfolio, including a nearby mews house worth £7million and a £2million mansion in Rishi's Yorkshire constituency, where he is nicknamed the 'Maharaja of the Dales'.
The family also have a £5.5million penthouse in California, overlooking Santa Monica pier, which they use in the holidays.
Mr Sunak's red carpet appearance today came after allies of the MP for Richmond said he would not be attending the Tory party conference at the ICC in Birmingham, which came to an end on Wednesday following a make-or-break speech by Ms Truss.
One told The Times ahead last week that he would be in 'Yorkshire instead', to 'give Truss all the space she needs to own the moment.'
Rishi Sunak was all smiles today as he took his daughter to the London premier of Matilda the Musical while avoiding the fractious Conservative Party conference
Rishi Sunak gives a thumbs up for photographers upon arrival for the premiere of the film 'Roald Dahl's, Matilda The Musical' on the opening evening of the 2022 London Film Festival in London
The former PM hopeful cut a casual figure on the red carpet of the BFI Southbank, donning a relaxed dinner jacket, grey chinos and black trainers as he held hands with his beaming daughter Anoushka
One told The Times ahead of the start of the conference last week that Mr Sunak would be in 'Yorkshire instead', to 'give Truss all the space she needs to own the moment' (Pictured: Liz Truss delivers her speech during the Conservative Party's annual conference at the International Convention Centre in Birmingham)
One of Mr Sunak's supporters insisted at the weekend that Ms Truss was 'finished' and said the party should repeat the 2003 leadership election, when Michael Howard was given the top job unopposed (Pictured: Mr Sunak with his daughter Anoushka at the Matilda the Musical premiere in London on Wednesday)
Mr Sunak with his daughter Anoushka at the Matilda the Musical premiere in central London on Wednesday
A senior Tory told The Mail on Sunday at the weekend: 'Rishi is the only answer. You go for a coronation.' (Pictured: Mr Sunak with his daughter Anoushka at the Matilda the Musical premiere in London on Wednesday)
The pointed remark came amid a brewing Tory civil war sparked by Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng's disastrous mini-budget, which promised £45billion in tax cuts and sent the pound plummeting against the dollar.
The Bank of England (BoE) was forced to step in and purchase up to £65billion in government debt in a bid to shore up confidence and prevent pension funds collapsing.
But the announcement, which was made without an OBR forecast, had spooked the markets and led mortgage providers to pull 1,000 deals amid fears interest rates could reach as high as 6 per cent by the middle of next year.
Following furore and open criticism from the likes of Michael Gove and Grant Shapps, Ms Truss and Mr Kwarteng were forced into a humiliating U-turn, ditching plans to abolish the 45p top rate of tax.
It followed warnings by Mr Sunak during the leadership race that Ms Truss's plans for the economy would force 'millions into misery' and lead to a crushing Labour victory at the next general election.
A series of polls this week gave the opposition leads of up to 38 points, suggesting Sir Keir Starmer's party would win by huge margins if an election were held tomorrow.
It came amid rumours that about 70 Tory MPs were scheming to topple the new leader over fears she is ruining the economy and the party's reputation.
Mr Sunak's supporters were also plotting to install the former Chancellor in No10 as part of a 'coronation' if Ms Truss 's Government falls in the wake of the mini-Budget, The Mail on Sunday reported.
Tory plotters were reportedly suggesting the leadership rules should be ripped up to give MPs the sole right to pick a successor to Ms Truss without the long campaign to court party members that led to Ms Truss succeeding Boris Johnson last month.
In addition to Mr Sunak, supporters of Boris Johnson have reportedly been talking about voting down the bill containing the budget measures to bring down the Government, allowing Mr Johnson to become a 'caretaker' prime minister. But allies of Mr
