Britain’s new prime minister has American roots — but D.C. is still getting to know him.
Most of Washington doesn’t know Rishi Sunak. But there’s one sector of the nation’s capital that is quite familiar with him — financial regulators — and those relationships give a glimpse of how he may deal with D.C.
Even though the new British prime minister lived in the U.S. for five years, the networks he built in California — as a student and hedge fund partner — rarely extend to Washington. Sunak, 42, joined the British Cabinet in February 2020, just as Covid began to disrupt travel. And unlike his predecessor Liz Truss, Sunak hasn’t cultivated a conservative network in Washington.
That means he’s got a lot of work to do in D.C..
The U.K.-U.S. “special relationship” depends on actual relationships. Sunak’s dearth of them means that — beyond the Treasury — he will have to build those bonds on the fly as he confronts enormous challenges, from the West’s strategy on Ukraine to calming global financial markets.
POLITICO contacted more than a dozen senior American officials, think tankers and bankers: most had nothing to share about Sunak — because they’d never dealt with him before.
While Sunak is a conservative and the Biden administration prides itself on its progressive policy positions, those who know Sunak best in Washington — Treasury officials — are emphatic in their praise. They cited Sunak’s willingness to overcome policy differences, and to solve thorny problems to justify their views.
When Janet met Rishi
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen first met Sunak in London, during the U.K. G-7 presidency in 2021, maintaining a rhythm of regular contact until Sunak resigned from his own treasury post in July, helping to force Boris Johnson out of Downing Street.
A person familiar with Sunak’s relationship with Treasury officials said he and Yellen “developed a very, very warm and friendly relationship, but also very business-like: they accomplish things.”