The Race For Prime Minister
July 24th, 2019. At a pivotal time in British politics, a new Prime Minister was instated, one who many believed was the right man to lead them into a new era. A man that would be level-headed, a leader, and most importantly, someone the public could trust, however, his tenure would be the opposite of all those things. As the new head of the country, he would quickly become one of the most controversial, irrational, and dangerous politicians the United Kingdom has ever seen. Finally, this summer, the British public had enough of his antics, with even his own party realizing he was a liability to have around, resulting in his resignation. So, as Boris Johnson prepares to step down from his role as Prime Minister, we look at the two people who could potentially be replacing him, in one of the most influential positions in world politics.
Starting off with the foreign secretary, Liz Truss, a former student activist, who came second on the lawmaker’s ballot last month. Ms. Truss originally campaigned against Johnson for the United Kingdom to stay in the European Union, but once she lost the vote, ended up being a strong promoter of the cause. She gained respect through her aggressive negotiations with Northern Ireland, making sure the border between them and the Republic of Ireland was strong enough to uphold the integrity of the borders enforced by Brexit. Truss has moved further to the right after a more centrist past, originally starting with the Liberal Democrats, before leaning more to the Conservative side after Johnson’s election. She has promised to make rapid tax cuts that would be funded by repaying the pandemic debt over a substantial, yet organized, period of time. In her first head-to-head with the opponent, Rishi Sunak, she was accused of creating a “short-term sugar rush,” that would quickly damage the country. Truss would respond by claiming that Sunak’s plans would “lead to a recession.”
Now it is time to meet the second candidate for Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak. Sunak led the voting by lawmakers in Parliament through all five rounds. However, there is a worry he could fall at the final hurdle. Sunak was the top financial official under Johnson, and if he were to win he would be the country’s first Prime Minister of color. Despite his success with the lawmakers, polling suggests that he may struggle with winning over his own party after a couple of controversies while Johnson was in charge. Originally, Sunak was a hero of the pandemic, the most impressive of his achievements was a furlough package that allowed companies to sustain twelve million jobs. Even so, Sunak ended up being looked at poorly by the public and politicians alike, after being caught up in the “Partygate” scandal, in which he attended a party, despite the law only allowing you to meet up with one other person while still outside. He would also come under fire about the tax status of his wealthy wife, not to mention the scrutiny he gets from his own personal wealth, perfectly presented by him wearing a three-thousand-five-hundred dollar suit, while Truss wore earrings that only cost five pounds during their first public debate. His association with tax increases, the cost of living crisis throughout Britain, and pushing out Johnson may rub one too many Conservatives the wrong way, resulting in him losing what originally was thought to be his election.
Two candidates are fighting it out for the job to lead a country in a time of extreme difficulty. With inflation, interest rates, and household bills rising, it is a massive task that presents itself to the next Prime Minister. At one of the most important times in its history, the United Kingdom must get its next Prime Minister right. As if the wrong person is appointed yet again, the country could fall off the precipice it has been so elegantly sitting on the last few years.
By Luke Birch