United Kingdom: Why is Liz Truss’ continuity as Prime Minister at stake?

British Conservative Prime Minister Liz Trusswas fighting for political survival on Tuesday, following the humiliating removal of its economic measures by a new finance minister wielding immense power in an attempt to stabilize markets.

“It is difficult to conceive of a more serious political and economic crisis in recent times than the one the UK is now facing”affirmed in an editorial the conservative newspaper Daily Telegraph.

Truss is facing “the ignominy” he added, of becoming the shortest-serving head of government in modern UK history, unless rebellious MPs from his Conservative Party give him a break.

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That was what he tried on Tuesday, meeting with his council of ministers, before preparing for his parliamentary appearance on Wednesday, which this week will be crucial.

Truss was heavily criticized on Monday for sending her Minister for Parliamentary Relations, Penny Mordaunt, to answer questions from the opposition after the humiliating annihilation of her “growth plan”.

UK Prime Minister Liz Truss. (EFE/EPA/Carlos Jasso).

“Where is the prime minister? She hides, avoids questions, terrified of her own shadow”, accused Labor leader Keir Starmer.

The 47-year-old head of government ended up appearing briefly, but only to sit silent with a forced smile and a faraway look.

She then met privately with officials of the powerful 1922 Committee, which manages the conservative parliamentary group, to try to convince them that she is still fit for office, even though all power now resides in the hands of the new finance minister, Jeremy Hunt.

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“Stay in position”

British Conservative Party rules protect any new leader from an internal vote of no confidence in the first 12 months in office. But growing discontent after Truss’s first month and a half could lead this group to change the rules if they can’t get her to step down on her own.

In an interview with the BBC, the prime minister said on Monday that she “regrets” the “mistakes” made with her ultra-liberal economic plan.

This combined significant public aid to pay energy bills and drastic tax reductions, with nothing to finance it other than fattening the already very large British public debt, which caused uneasiness in the financial markets.

Appointed urgently on Friday to replace the ultra-liberal Kwasi Kwarteng -a friend of Truss-, Hunt announced the abolition of “almost all” of these measures in an attempt to calm the collapse of the pound and the rise in public debt rates.

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Liz Truss, the British prime minister struggling to stay in office | (AP Photo/Frank Augstein, File)

Despite everything, Truss declared herself determined to “stay in office to meet commitments in the national interest.”

The next general election is scheduled for late 2024 and it is unlikely that the Conservatives will push to bring it forward because their party would lose it resoundingly to the leftist opposition, with a huge lead in the polls.

“I will look at the polls when we get closer to the legislative ones. Now there is no general election, I don’t think there will be before 2024. When people see that our plan works to protect them, their homes and their family, I hope and believe that they will come to support us “Conservative Party Chairman Jake Berry told Times Radio.

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But, according to Conservative MP Charles Walker, trust “doesn’t look like it can be restored under the current prime minister.” “I think if we get the right person at the helm … we can show the British over the next two years that we’re a serious organization,” he told the broadcaster.

According to a YouGov poll, 10% of Britons have a favorable opinion of Truss, 20% among Conservative Party voters. 55% of the members of that formation consider that he should resign.

On the right-wing bench, names of possible candidates are already running to replace Truss, the fourth Conservative head of government since 2016, appointed on September 6 to replace the controversial Boris Johnson, who 32% of conservatives would now like to see return, according to YouGov.

Source: Elcomercio