In 1994, a passionate 19-year-old Oxford student, Elizabeth Truss, called a referendum to abolish the british monarchy and told an audience of fellow liberal Democrats: “We don’t believe people should be born to rule.” Nearly three decades later, Truss, Britain’s new prime minister after being anointed by Queen Elizabeth II before her death at the Scottish castle of Balmoral, is on a political odyssey, from Republican troublemaker to leader of the traditional conservative party.
Liz Trussas it is known in England, long ago gave a turn to embrace the monarchy, and abandoned the Liberal Democrats by conservatives. And more recently she switched sides on Brexit, opposing Britain’s campaign to leave the European Union before the 2016 referendum, then becoming an ardent evangelist as Commerce Secretary to the ousted Boris Johnson.
Their ideological prowess (critics call her an opportunist), propelled her to the top of British politics. How suitable it is for the rigors of the job is another question, given the disastrous economic crisis that is hitting the kingdom: to Brexit are added the aftermath of the post-pandemic and the war in Ukraine. And this comes on top of a Tory party that seems torn between a desire for a fresh start and regret at having thrown away its flamboyant predecessor.
Profile
Truss has little of Johnson’s charisma. Nevertheless climbed the ranks of the party with what his colleagues describe as courage, drive and an appetite for disruptive politics. And when her former boss got into trouble after a series of scandals, she deftly positioned herself – without ever publicly breaking up – as a hard-line alternative.
“This willing to take risks and say the kinds of things that other people are not willing to say. Sometimes that works for her, other times it hurts her,” explains political scientist Marc Stears, who tutored him at Oxford. Hence, she is frequently compared to Margaret Thatcher, Britain’s first female prime minister in 1979, during a period of similar economic hardship.
A painting in front of which, Truss arrives with proposals: his economic priority is to reduce taxes, a move she says will revive a stagnant economy and help people deal with skyrocketing energy bills. Truss’s team has floated the idea of reducing VAT by 5%, or cutting income tax to help family budgets.
But there is considerable skepticism on the tax cut response to the energy cost crisis, which would benefit the high earners and do nothing for those dependent on pensions or benefits.
plans
Truss has received relatively little scrutiny during the campaign to succeed Johnson over his plans for social security and health careespecially given the crisis in the health service and the widespread expectation that things will get much worse in the winter.
And there are also doubts if the budget cut will reach public works that generated employment and was one of the banners of the Johnson administration.
Finally, energy costs are tied to a green agenda that has been complicated since the UK, like many other European countries, restarted its coal-fired plants to alleviate the lack of Russian gas.
And while Truss has emphasized his commitment to a zero-carbon goal, and his team insists he will focus on renewable energy, environmentalists are concerned about his priorities. Truss privately supports new drilling in the North Seaand has backed a massive expansion of nuclear power rather than efforts to reduce energy consumption.
And his “hawkish” agenda includes deporting asylum seekers and other migrants to Rwanda, and seeking other countries that will accept them. While carrying out aculture war” particularly in Education, which could lead to changes in the approach towards minorities.
Exterior
His foreign policy is likely to be more of the same, given that Truss led the relationship with the EU under Johnson. Strong support for Ukraine is expected, and pressure is expected on the French president, Emmanuel Macron, to define your “friend or foe” position.
Truss also marks his toughness on Northern Ireland protocol, but with so many fronts open, he might decide a potential trade war in his backyard isn’t what he needs. Truss could activate Article 16 of the Protocol, which allows him to cancel the agreementbut doing so would trigger a popular consultation process that could lead to another break with an air of independence that would damage the United Kingdom again.
And the prime minister has already given proof of her pragmatism on the road that has put her at number 10 Downing Street, the official residence of the British prime minister. The English home front is not easy. Small businesses, especially energy-intensive ones like pubs and restaurants, are warning of widespread closures over the winter as they won’t be able to pay their bills.
And there is a growing number of labor strikes: Workers in all industries (including key sectors such as port workers, nurses, teachers, machinists, and postal service personnel) demand wage increases in line with the cost of living. A world drama that finds the British little tolerant after five years of sustained decline in purchasing power.
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