Rishi Sunak’s wife Akshata Murty has stepped out of the shadows following a series of high-profile scandals to join him on her first international trip as the prime minister’s spouse.
The multimillionaire daughter of one of India’s richest businessmen stood out as she stepped off an RAF plane dressed in bright green ME+EM trousers with a pink Chinti & Parker knit jumper. The prime minister kept it simple with a dark suit, white shirt and red tie.
Ms Murty, 43, has been embroiled in controversy since The Independent revealed last year that she had been avoiding tax by claiming non-dom status. She has since agreed to pay UK tax on her overseas income.
She and her husband also came under fire over her stake in Koru Kids after Mr Sunak failed to declare her involvement in the childcare agency that benefited from the Budget. He is now under investigation by parliament’s sleaze watchdog over the non-disclosure.
Ms Murty also has a stake in the education tech company Study Hall, which was given £349,976 of public funds through Innovate UK.
The controversy engulfing the prime minister’s wife is not just linked to her investments. Her choice of fashion has raised eyebrows in the past, including when she wore a pair of Gucci shoes costing £645 on the campaign trail in the run-up to the local elections.
And Ms Murty and Mr Sunak were in March “reminded of the rules” by the Metropolitan Police about keeping dogs on a lead when in major parks. A video appeared to show the prime minister and his family allowing their dog, Nova, to roam freely in a Royal Park.
Mr Sunak and Ms Murty were greeted off the plane in Tokyo on Thursday ahead of the G7 summit in Hiroshima this weekend. They were met by the British ambassador to Japan Julia Longbottom.
Ms Murty is expected to follow a programme of activities with other world leaders’ partners, who could include US first lady Jill Biden and Brigitte Macron, French president Emmanuel Macron’s wife.
It is the latest in a series of recent high-profile public appearances by Ms Murty, following a coronation lunch in Downing Street for volunteers, youth groups and Ukrainian refugees in the UK.
Ms Murty also met Ms Biden ahead of the coronation of King Charles III, spending an afternoon exploring veterans’ affairs and education.
And in February she joined the prime minister visiting a “family hub” in Cornwall to promote the government programme.
