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Will Liz Truss Become the 2nd ‘Iron Lady’?

Will Liz Truss Become the 2nd ‘Iron Lady’?

Al-Ittihad, UAE, September 8

On September 6, just days before her death, Britain’s Queen Elizabeth invited Liz Truss to form a new government following the resignation of Boris Johnson. Truss thus became the 15th prime minister under the queen. Truss was Johnson’s foreign secretary and won the support of Conservative Party members after a two-month leadership battle. She is the third woman to hold the position of prime minister after two fellow Conservatives, Margaret Thatcher and Theresa May. Conversely, the Labour party has never elected a woman to its leadership position. Truss, 47, had a mixed career and her performance will be judged by comparison with Johnson, who lacked discipline but who had a riotous charisma and a mastery of speech. Johnson and his Conservatives won an overwhelming majority in Parliament in the 2019 general election – a victory mainly attributed to the poor performance of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who was a far-left populist, unfriendly to America, and anti-NATO. In her youth, Truss was vocal about ending the monarchy. She was also very supportive of Britain’s membership in the European Union. But when the majority of Britons voted to leave the European Union in the 2016 referendum, Truss became a staunch supporter of Brexit and remained loyal to Johnson until the end of his tenure at 10 Downing Street. Truss’ first public speech as prime minister addressed the economic crisis facing Britain, including energy shortages, the highest inflation among the G7 economies, and the threat of the Ukraine war. In her speech, Truss focused on these issues as priorities, saying, “I’m going to get Britain to work again.” It is a promise she intends to fulfill by cutting taxes, enacting fiscal reforms, and increasing investment in growth sectors. Truss pledged to deal with the energy crisis caused by the Ukraine war and to “make sure that people don’t face huge energy bills.” She also said she would put health services on an equal footing and “make sure people can get doctors’ appointments.” These are undoubtedly laudable goals, but Truss will have to provide more details to quell the country’s growing anger. No doubt, bringing about practical changes that affect people’s daily lives before the onset of winter will be a difficult challenge. What makes it even more difficult is the fact that she is not a popular politician, especially within her party and among the public. She has also been widely criticized in Europe for her outspoken, often reproached disregard for existing sensitivities. Truss needs to establish herself quickly with a new, dynamic government. For the first time in British history, top government positions, including those of prime minister, chancellor of the exchequer, foreign secretary, and home secretary, will not be held by white males. This is a remarkable development for Britain. However, if the government promises reforms that won’t work, Truss will face strong opposition from within and outside her party. She now has only two years to establish herself before the next election in 2024. Truss says she wants to follow in the footsteps of Margaret Thatcher, who worked with Mikhail Gorbachev, Ronald Reagan, and Pope John Paul II to end the Cold War, fought a tough fight with unions, and became one of Britain’s most controversial prime ministers. It is not known, however, whether Liz Truss can match Thatcher’s assertiveness and deal with the inevitable backlash she would face in the age of social media if she called for controversial and sweeping reforms. Does Truss have the personality and skills she needs to become the second “Iron Lady”? –Geoffrey Kemp (translated by Asaf Zilberfarb)

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