The U.K. Prime Minister Liz Truss Cut It Short, Didn't Last As Long As A Lettuce

Britain can't stand prime ministers. Having changed four prime ministers in the last 6 years, British politics had some hope when Liz Truss stepped into 10 Downing Street at the beginning of September. However, the Truss Government, which could only stay in power for 6 weeks, cracked at the end of this short period of shakiness, and there was talk of the Prime Minister's possible dismissal and the possibility of a British-style political coup. In the end, these rumors proved to be true, as Liz Truss was forced to announce on October 20 that she could not continue as Prime Minister. A fifth prime ministerial candidate is now expected to be announced.

Among those running to replace Truss are Rishi Sunak, a Johnson minister and former rival of Johnson's who has recently come under fire for his criticism of Truss's fiscal policies, as well as Hunt, the powerful politician allegedly responsible for the fall of Truss's government. Even the names of former Prime Ministers Johnson and May are mentioned among the options.

Whatever happened at number 10, first David Cameron resigned and was replaced by Theresa May. Then May gave way to Boris Johnson. Johnson, somewhat reluctantly, handed over to Liz Truss. Each of them had a shorter tenure in No. 10 than the last. As Truss stepped down as prime minister, she also set a record. He took his place in British history as the shortest serving Prime Minister.

Britain has spent much of the last six years hurtling from one crisis to another, from the results of the vote to leave the EU to the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic turmoil caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. While both David Cameron and Theresa May resigned over Brexit (the former for failing to persuade Britons to remain in the European Union, the latter for failing to get the Brexit deal through the House of Commons), Boris Johnson was pressured to resign after a series of ethical scandals, most notably his own government's failure to comply with pandemic restrictions.

He was replaced by Liz Truss as Prime Minister. Prior to becoming Prime Minister, she served as Minister for Environment, Food and Rural Development in David Cameron's government. As Britain's first female Lord High Chancellor, she became Justice Secretary and Chief Secretary to the Treasury in Theresa May's government. In Boris Johnson's government, she was Secretary of State for International Trade and Foreign Affairs. She stood out as a highly experienced prime ministerial candidate. Much was expected of him.

How did Truss come to the brink of resignation?

"Growth, growth, growth" said Truss, who managed to shrink the British economy during his 44 days as Prime Minister (a lifespan shorter than lettuce). When Truss succeeded Johnson, he had to deal with a number of challenges, not least the looming energy crisis and inflation rates not seen since the 1980s. While Johnson's government was raising taxes to finance increased public spending, Truss had become prime minister on the claim that he would turn Britain into a high-growth economy. But before he could address the big issues, he rushed in and made the mistake of a novice government: Billions of pounds in unfunded tax cuts for the wealthiest. He announced a £45 billion ($50.6 billion) package of tax cuts. Clearly he felt it necessary to cut taxes to stimulate the economy. Thus, instead of paying taxes, he wanted the rich to invest their resources in new investments, and tried to encourage them. But he could not explain this aim and did not have enough time to express himself. With his first move, he jeopardized his position. Because this decision triggered a chain reaction. The pound collapsed. Markets were spooked. The global credibility of the British economy weakened. Truss raised the concerns of the poor, who were in trouble because of real estate loans. The public, fed up with high inflation and skyrocketing energy bills, revolted against Truss's policies that favored the rich. Meanwhile, the wrong decisions were criticized even by the IMF and Biden.

Far from meeting the expectations of the public and the outside world, Truss also failed to find harmony with his own appointed ministers in the government. He had to fire his finance minister and close friend, former Prime Minister Kwasi Kwarteng, for adopting different fiscal policies from his own. The market was shaken. Despite everything, Truss, who signaled earlier this week that he would act according to the expectations of the markets, in a sense tried a U-turn in the economy. He then reassured the financial markets a bit. These erratic and inconsistent financial and fiscal policies have led to a growing acceptance in the Conservative Party and among members of the government that it will not work with Truss. 

The British economy, which was in recession and struggling with stagnation, needed stability rather than growth. Truss was expected to be a prime minister who would touch the people. But this expectation was not fulfilled. Seeing that the public and his party had lost confidence in him, Truss resigned when he realized that the ground beneath him was shifting. 

Truss Resigned, What Now?

In a short statement outside Downing Street to hand in his resignation, Truss said, "We set out a vision for a low-tax, high-growth economy that would benefit from the freedoms that Brexit brings. However, I have come to realize that I cannot fulfill the task I was elected by the Conservative Party in the current situation. Therefore, I have spoken to His Majesty the King and informed him that I have resigned as the leader of the Conservative Party."

He had already lost the confidence of his own party as Prime Minister. It had become almost impossible for the government to maintain its legitimacy. It did not seem possible for Truss to lead the Conservative Party to the elections and achieve an electoral victory. Moreover, recent opinion polls showed that Truss's popularity had fallen to 12% among conservative voters. A new leader was needed.

As is traditional in British politics, a leadership contest was normally expected to be launched to determine Truss's replacement at the head of the party. The new leader had to be chosen by the approximately 200,000 members of the Conservative Party, which tends to be 'older, wealthier and whiter' than the rest of the country. It was a process that took a long time. Truss himself took eight weeks to be selected. Truss became the new guest of Number 10 not as a result of the general election, but by the votes of 81,000 people from the Conservative Party.

Some Conservative MPs, fearing that the rank and file might choose another leader who was unpopular with the wider public, suggested that this time the party membership vote should be abandoned and the final decision left to MPs. This proposal was quietly accepted.

It is now expected that the Conservative Party will come together as soon as possible, that one of the candidates chosen from among the MPs will be put in charge of the party, and that this person will become the new prime minister and the new occupant of Number 10. If the party fails to do so, or if the newly elected candidate fails to unite the party, Britain could face a general election next year. Normally, parliamentary elections are supposed to be held in January 2025.

Truss also made important exits during his short term as Prime Minister

Truss, who is called hawkish in foreign policy and who advocates for the United Kingdom to be more visible on the world stage, and who carries out this with the slogan "Global Britain", was expected to take steps in this direction during his term as Prime Minister.

Truss took a decision that relieved the Jewish communities. He wanted to follow in the footsteps of the American government regarding the capital of Israel. He promised to "look into" moving the British embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

He emphasized the importance of the relationship between the UK and Turkey. The two countries are European and NATO allies. He called for deepening UK-Turkey cooperation on "energy, defense and security". Indeed, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, who visited the UK during Truss's term, showed Turkey's interest in British-led Typhoon aircraft, a visit that was welcomed by the Truss government.

Although Truss did not give a clear picture of the problems between the Greek Cypriots and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, he said that the UK would continue to provide the necessary support "to assist in the efforts for reunification within the framework of international law and for a peaceful and lasting settlement on the island". 

The UK will not remain silent on the People's Republic of China's treatment of the Uyghur people and supports sanctions against China. He signaled that he would act in line with American policies on this issue. 

In Johnson's government, Russia invaded Ukraine during his one-year term as foreign secretary. In the Asia-Pacific, the UK had signed up to the US-led AUKUS. Together with the US, the UK began to pursue a containment policy towards China.

Conclusion

On September 6, 2022, Truss took office as prime minister and served for only 44 days. During this period, as prime minister, he witnessed the death of Queen Elizabeth II, who had ruled the United Kingdom for 70 years. Truss, who took the prime minister's office from Queen Elizabeth, the monarch who ruled the United Kingdom for the longest time, submitted his resignation to King Charles III. Thus, he made history as the person who sat in number 10 for the shortest period of time.

Former Finance Minister Rishi Sunak, one of Liz Truss' rivals, is expected to replace her. He has previously led Liz through five rounds of voting in the party's parliamentary group. However, the choice between the top two candidates, Rishi Sunak and his closest rival Liz Truss, was determined by the party members' preference for Liz Truss. Now it appears that the party members will not be approached. If that happens, the parliamentary wing of the party is almost certain to choose Sunak.