RICHER THAN THE QUEEN

Rishi Sunak is vying to be Britain's new PM, but questions around his mega-wealthy wife may get in his way

- RICHARD VAN RENSBURG

THE wife of Britain's wannabe prime minister steps out of her home carrying a tray of tea and biscuits to a crowd of reporters camped outside.

We're approachable, Akshata Murthy's message seems to be. Were one of the people.

But although the gesture went down well it didn't take long for the tea tray to be scrutinised.

Those mugs cost £38 (R767) each and the house they come from is a £7-million (R142m) home in London's swanky Kensington.

Not quite "one of the people" - but then Akshata and her husband, Rishi Sunak, are one of England's richest couples and she has a personal fortune that surpasses the queen's.

In recent weeks Akshata has been doing her best to support her husband on his campaign trail.

She's ditched her customary designer gear for more modest outfits and has been by her husband's side as he tries to woo Conservative Party voters. She's also managed to sidestep a scandal about her tax status that cast a cloud over her husband's political future.

Rishi, usually cagey about his private life, has been playing up the personal aspect of his life in the run-up to the final vote, recently uploading a post on social - media that pays tribute to his wife and his young daughters, Krishna and Anoushka.

"Family means everything to me," he says. "So grateful to have the support of my family.

Rishi will find out in early September whether he or rival Liz Truss will succeed Boris Johnson as the UK's new leader and Akshata will find out if she has to move into No 10 Downing Street.

So who is the woman who could become the next first lady of the UK?

AKSHATA'S father is IT tycoon Narayana Murthy, also known as "the Bill Gates of A India". Despite the family's vast wealth, Akshata's life wasn't always smoot sailing.