Chancellorship of Rishi Sunak 13 February 2020 – 5 July 2022
Party
Conservative
Nominated by
Boris Johnson
Appointed by
Elizabeth II
Seat
11 Downing Street
← Sajid Javid
Nadhim Zahawi →
Rishi Sunak served as Chancellor of the Exchequer of the United Kingdom from his appointment on 13 February 2020 to his resignation on 5 July 2022. His tenure was dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, with Sunak becoming a prominent figure in the government's response to the pandemic, giving economic support to struggling businesses through various schemes. He was also involved in the government's response to the cost of living crisis, UK energy supply crisis, and global energy crisis.
Sunak was appointed chancellor by prime minister Boris Johnson in the 2020 cabinet reshuffle, succeeding Sajid Javid, who had resigned as chancellor after refusing a demand from Johnson and his chief adviser Dominic Cummings that he dismiss his advisers. Sunak was prominent in the government's financial response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic impact, including the Coronavirus Job Retention furlough scheme for employees, and the Eat Out to Help Out scheme, although the latter of which contributed to a rise in COVID-19 infections. Controversies regarding COVID-19 contracts occurred during Sunak's chancellorship. In the Partygate scandal it was found that multiple parties had been held at 10 Downing Street during national COVID-19 lockdowns, and COVID-19 social distancing laws were breached by 83 individuals, including Sunak, who in April 2022 was issued with a fixed penalty notice.
In May 2022, as the rising cost of living became an increasingly serious and worrying issue for the country, Sunak intensified the government's efforts to respond to the crisis, with a £5 billion windfall tax on energy companies to help fund a £15 billion support package for the public. Following the Chris Pincher scandal, Sunak resigned as chancellor on 5 July 2022, almost simultaneously with Javid's resignation as health secretary, and was the second of 62 Conservative MPs to resign during the government crisis which culminated in Johnson's own resignation. He was succeeded by Nadhim Zahawi. Three months after the end of his chancellorship, Sunak became prime minister following the resignation of Liz Truss in October 2022 amid another government crisis, having spent the duration of Truss's premiership on the backbenches.
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