New leader Liz Truss has promised to help Britain.”storm ride“Inflation, recession and high energy prices. I pledged to make the country work and grow again with tax cuts and deregulation. I used the word “we” a lot.
But neither Truss nor Johnson has mentioned that the Conservative Party has been in power for 12 years Years and so contributed to the country’s frightening economic outlook. Johnson did not mention that it was his party’s MPs who fired him after a series of scandals and lies. And Truss didn’t admit it was Installed by legislators and members of their party, rather than a mandate from the wider Britain. It was chosen by 0.3 percent of the population.
This day was a day of tradition.
Outgoing and incoming prime ministers usually pass each other a five-minute drive from Downing Street to Buckingham Palace, both in London. But since Queen Elizabeth II is 96 and has limited mobility, she has asked the couple to travel to her then Balmoral property And a summer vacation home in Scotland.
Johnson and Truss Flying in separate RAF passenger planes To reach their separate audiences with the King. It seems that reducing carbon emissions is not the main concern today. Officials emphasized that double flights were essential for security.
Johnson has been the caretaker prime minister since July, when a torrent of resignations from his government forced him to. He announced that he would be stepping down. But his meeting with the Queen made it official. He bowed and submitted his resignation.
Then it was Truss’ turn to meet the king and ask permission to form a new government. In the images the palace allowed, she appeared to perform a shallow curving role.
Move width a A glimpse of the Queen, which has become a rarity since health issues forced her to cut back on her workload. Wearing a gray blazer and plaid skirt appropriate for Scotland and her signature pearls, she smiled to Truss and extended her hand toward the next prime minister.
On the other hand, the Queen was carrying a wand, an instrument she has been photographed using regularly in recent months.
She looked small – and underweight – but bleak.
Gears The Queen’s fifteenth Prime Minister. The first is Winston Churchill, born in 1874. Truss was born more than 100 years later – in 1975.
She became Britain’s third female prime minister, after Theresa May and Margaret Thatcher – all Conservatives, by the way. Britain can now claim membership in the small club of countries that have been elected or at least appointed Three female heads of state or government.
He also made the gears of history on Tuesday Set three colored people To the so-called “major positions” of the state: James Cleverly as Secretary of State, Suella Braverman as Secretary of the Interior, and Kwasi Quarting as Secretary of the Treasury or Director of Finance. For the first time, there will be no white man occupying one of Britain’s Big Four political seats Energy.
Truss herself has held senior positions under three prime ministers, including her most recent term as Secretary of State. However, many Britons admit they don’t really know Truss, not in the way they did Johnson – former London mayor, newspaper columnist, Brexit cheerleader, and serial dodger.
It’s fair to say that Truss is a shape-shifter.
She describes herself as a “frankly speaking Yorkshire woman” (she went to Oxford, like many British leaders).
She began her political journey from the left as a liberal democrat. Down with the monarchy! She cried in her college days. Today, however, she is deeply conservative and asserts that the royal family is “essential” to Britain’s success.
Truss also voted for Britain to remain in the European Union before becoming a staunch supporter of Brexit.
It has raised concerns among EU officials about threats to override the terms of the Brexit deal dealing with Northern Ireland. President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen Truss offered a clear congratulations this week: “I look forward to a constructive relationship, with full respect for our agreements.”
The United States – the main backer of the Good Friday peace agreement – is also concerned about Truss’ moves in Northern Ireland.
In his congratulatory message, President Biden Instead, he emphasized the cooperation between the United States and Britain in providing “continued support to Ukraine as it defends itself against Russian aggression.”
Johnson listed Britain’s early support for Ukraine as one of his proudest achievements. Truss, who had already helped impose sanctions on the Russian oligarchy, promised to be strong in its dealings with Moscow. Her first conversation as prime minister with a foreign leader was with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov shrieked on Tuesday at his criticism of the new British leader, denouncing her “knowingly negative attitude toward Russia.”
“It defends Britain’s interests without any willingness to compromise, which is unlikely to strengthen London’s position on the international stage,” Lavrov said.
Although Truss inherited a plethora of challenges, the British have very clear idea About what they think should climb to the top of the inbox: the cost of living crisis.
People worry about high energy bills. The average annual household fuel bill is set to rise from about $2,300 to $4,100 next month — a jump of nearly 80 percent. Analysts say the average could reach $6,900 next year. This is if the government does not intervene.
At the same time, inflation reached 10 percent, the highest level in 40 years, and the Bank of England expects a prolonged stagnation.
In which First speech as prime minister On Tuesday afternoon, Truss promised a “bold” job. “I will deal pragmatically with the energy crisis caused by Putin’s war,” she said, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin and directly blaming Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
She was not clear about the details of how it would help the state, or how the government would fund any interventions. The Financial Times reports that Truss’ team is finalizing a package that could cost more than $115 billion to tackle the crisis.
Truss pledged to help “transform Britain into an ambitious nation, with high-paying jobs, safe streets and where everyone, everywhere has the opportunities they deserve”.
The new leader said she wanted to focus on “making Britain work again”, even though unemployment is near historic lows, at 3.8 per cent, and companies struggle to find workers after Brexit.
Johnson’s comments in Downing Street earlier today underlined the stylistic differences between the two leaders.
His evocation of Cincinnatus, in particular, got people talking.
Johnson, the classic hobbyist, was clearly referring to virtue—big time.
But was the underlying message one about political restraint? Or the duty of service when called?
The Roman statesman who lived in the 5th century BC is said to have been pressed into service to defend Rome from invasion, agreeing to extraordinary powers but then surrendering them all after the battle was over. According to some accounts, he later agreed to return to Rome and serve as dictator for a second time.
A BBC analyst said the implication of Johnson’s speech was “Why on earth did you get rid of me?” Many believe Johnson will try to come back.
Oxford classicalist Mary Beard tweeted: “If you’re curious about Boris Johnson’s reference to Cincinnatus in his farewell speech – he … saved the state from invasion, and then – the work was done – he went back to his farm (“to his plow”).”
“He was also an enemy of the people,” she added.
Annabelle Timsit in London and Rachel Bennett in Sydney contributed to this report.
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