The UK has its third female prime minister. Liz Truss was elected leader by the rank and file Conservatives to lead the party, and therefore the nation, on a platform that positioned her as Boris Johnson’s successor candidate.
This result will be celebrated by all sides of British politics.
Members of the Conservative Party approximately 180,000 the people who elected the new leader will be delighted that the succession candidate has crossed the line. Likewise, the strategists of the opposition parties (Labour, Liberal Democrats and the Scottish National Party) will also be glad that the succession candidate has crossed the line. By choosing Truss as leader, members of the Conservatives increased the odds that their party would lose in the next general election.
This is because Truss essentially offers more of the same. Enter 10 Downing Street at a time when the views of the Conservative Party and the experience of the electorate as a whole are at odds. As the British found themselves in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis, the leadership debate between Truss and his main opponent, Rishi Sunak, focused on amount of tax benefits which weakens the public treasury when it is most needed. It was music to the ears of the older and wealthier members of the conservatives, but to the electorate as a whole it was a case of “same world, different planet.”
Adding insult to injury, Truss dismissed the idea of supporting a Briton in dire straits as ” present “Besides, his views on British workers are like.” lazy surfaced during the struggle for leadership. This is unlikely to endear her to Labor voters in the 45 so-called “Red Wall” seats in northern England, which went over to the Conservatives led by Johnson in the election. 2019.
Newly appointed Conservative MPs to these seats fear that, in the face of this snub, their new supporters you can go back to work .
In addition, as a symbol of continuity with the Johnson government, Truss could have a hard time at the 20 Blue Wall sites in the south of England. Former Conservative voters have switched to the Liberal Democrats in three recent by-elections for those seats, increasing pressure on Johnson to resign earlier this year.
Conservative MPs in this part of England fear that voters, stunned by Johnson’s political tone and style of government, do not worry about it using the same tactic Farm : hostility towards the EU, inciting the French and waging a “war against awakening”. .
North of the border, the track’s embrace of everything British, from its famous backing of british cheese until conscious acceptance images of Thatcher strengthen support for Scottish independence. Scotland has only six Conservative MPs, but having Truss as leader will not make it easier to keep seats in the next election.
Given these strategic dangers, why was she chosen? Review YouGov review found that many Conservative members did not want Johnson to be kicked out of 10th place, despite his government record. Appeared abyss between rank-and-file conservatives and the electorate as a whole. If Truss is too much like Johnson, which is what the party seems to want, then the party will pay the price.
What does this mean for Australia?
Truss will find a number of urgent but difficult questions in your inbox. The most important of these will be the cost-of-living crisis. This will intensify as winter approaches. remove restrictions on energy prices which will leave many struggling to heat their homes and buy food. The strikes observed in the summer will intensify.
The next topic is the war in Ukraine. Part of Russia’s global strategy is to hope that Western states, and the UK in particular, will tire of supporting Ukraine. This will not happen under Truss. She is ardent supporter of Ukraine and the UK can be expected to maintain its current stance of support.
Truss is also a candidate for succession when it comes to Anglo-Australian relations. Like Johnson, Truss is a big fan of Australia (despite the uncomfortable chair). Dan Teehan during free trade negotiations). As the British author of the Australia-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA), this form of bilateral relationship will only get stronger. The very favorable attitude towards Australia means that the commitment AUCUS a strategic alliance between Australia, the UK and the US.
Of course, Johnson had an ideological colleague in Scott Morrison as his Australian counterpart. Truss will not bear such an ideological similarity to Anthony Albanese or Foreign Secretary Penny Wong.
However, the ALP’s view of the FTA between Australia and the UK is generally positive, perhaps with some stricter provisions on workers’ rights. Less is known about the ALP’s views on AUKUS, or whether the Australian government would prefer British submarine designs to American ones (or what might be on sale in the meantime ).
Questions remain whether Truss, like her predecessor, believes more in herself than in Britain. Given his ability to hold more than one political office with great conviction ( started as a Liberal Democrat and voted to stay in the EU ) maybe our new leader is more interested in his own resume than in the common good.
Boris Johnson undermined confidence in politics but Truss may not be able to solve this particular problem. Her advisers would be tempted to consider an early election by giving her a fictitious “mandate” that the Westminster system does not require, and there are lessons in what happened to Theresa May when that temptation arose.
Yet for all his shortcomings, Johnson bequeathed Truss with an impressive 73-seat majority. But Truss must tread carefully: he is the opposition’s best hope of ousting the conservatives in recent years.
Source: RPP
I’m Liza Grey, an experienced news writer and author at the Buna Times. I specialize in writing about economic issues, with a focus on uncovering stories that have a positive impact on society. With over seven years of experience in the news industry, I am highly knowledgeable about current events and the ways in which they affect our daily lives.