By Will DeMartinis
The United Kingdom has been a whirlwind of international developments the past few weeks, whether it be from the resignation of Boris Johnson after pressure to resign arose from his own party, the exceptionally bad performances of the ruling Conservative party that ultimately lead to Johnsons resigning, or the fact that their head of state for the past 70 years passed away last week, the UK is nothing short of a confetti cannon of news. Today, I’m going to delve into how the Conservatives got to this point, how Liz Truss got the job, and what she plans on doing for the future of England.Â
The UK’s governing Conservative party is in deep trouble. Myriads of scandals under the leadership of Boris Johnson have left a sour taste in the mouth of many British citizens. But it wasn’t always this way. The Conservatives won a massive election victory in the 2019 UK General Election, Trouncing the largest opposition party, The UK Labour Party, by an astounding 365-202 Seat majority and a 43.6%-32.1% victory in the popular vote. The Conservatives had the largest majority in 45 years, and they looked unstoppable. Multiple questions arose over Labour’s future in UK Politics: Could they ever win another election? Have they drifted away from their core principles that got them elected in the early 2000’s? Who should lead the party against Boris Johnson?
Flash forward 3 years and things look radically different. As previously mentioned, Boris Johnson’s government was plagued with scandals, ranging from illegal hiatuses of parliament to partying against his own COVID-19 restrictions. This prompted a massive surge for the Labour party, who began to lead nationwide polls by November of 2021, a lead they have yet to relinquish. That lead is exactly what caused a string of special elections (by-elections for the UK Parliament) To break in the opposition’s favour. These scandals, the loss of a nationwide lead, and the string of back-breaking electoral losses all culminated in a mass defection within Johnson’s own Conservative Party. After the resignation of over 60 of his government members, he finally announced his resignation on July 8th, 2022. However, even with his resignation, he announced he would continue his duties as a caretaker P.M until the Conservative Party could elect a replacement.
That’s where Liz Truss comes in. An MP from South West Norfolk since 2010 & holder of several different governmental positions under the leadership of Conservative leaders (David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson). Truss announced her bid for the Conservative Party leadership on July 10th, 2022. She pledged to cut taxes on day one if elected, and said she would “fight the election as a Conservative and govern as a Conservative”, adding that she would also take “immediate action to help people deal with the cost of living”. Truss & former Chancellor of the Echquencer Rishi Sunak were chosen to advance to a final leadership vote on July 20th. The Vote, which took place in September, Truss received 57.1% of the vote to be the Conservatives next leader, immediately making her Boris Johnson’s replacement.
Truss’s government is obviously incredibly new. She is the last British PM to serve under the reign of Queen Elizabeth II and first to serve under King Charles III. As written above, Truss plans to brand herself as a true Conservative who will fight for their values. However, it is unknown how or even if her election as leader will change any of the Conservatives dismay from voters, as Labour still holds a large lead in the polls. It is also unknown if Truss would attempt to call an early election to solidify her position as leader, as it is what Boris Johnson did upon his ascension to the Prime Ministership in 2019. What is known? Liz Truss is the Conservatives new party leader and the new UK Prime Minister.
