In the United Kingdom, who will succeed Boris Johnson, the resigning Prime Minister? After a summer of campaigning in the midst of the UK’s cost of living crisis, the race in Downing Street comes to an end this Friday, September 2, with Liz Truss the big favorite against Rishi Sunak.
>> United Kingdom: Boris Johnson’s three tumultuous years in Downing Street
During the internal campaign in the British Conservative Party, the question for activists has been to choose between two candidates who are vying for the legacy of “BoJo”: here the head of diplomacy who promises massive tax cuts and attacks harshly the unions, and there, the former Minister of Finance, attached to budgetary orthodoxy.
So until the end, Liz Truss was faithful to Boris Johnson: she claims the same outspokenness, at the risk of controversy. Like recently when she said she didn’t know if Emmanuel Macron was “friend or foe” of the United Kingdom. His rival, Rishi Sunak, a former banker, graduate of a prestigious private school, wants to be more cautious. In form, as in substance, believes Tony Traverss, political scientist and professor at the London School of Economics : “Rishi Sunak, as a former Minister of Finance, has as a priority the reduction of the public debt, which has increased sharply during the health crisis. While Liz Truss has a different approach to inflation: she wants immediate tax cuts, even if that leads to the state taking on more debt.“
A seasoned politician who has been holding ministerial positions for 10 years, Liz Truss (47) seduced the base by promising massive tax cuts and adopting a very tough tone against the unions. This has earned her comparison to Margaret Thatcher, an icon of conservatism, although her rival is working to dispute her legacy by posing as a champion of budgetary prudence. Rishi Sunak (42), the grandson of Indian immigrants who would become the country’s first non-white prime minister if he were to surprise, has struggled to shed his image as a wealthy technocrat, lecturer and traitor having precipitated the fall of Boris Johnson by slamming the door of the government in early July.
The economy is therefore the main subject of division, at a time when inflation exceeds 10% in the United Kingdom, a division which has eclipsed the points of agreement between the two contenders, in particular on international issues. Both are indeed supporters of Brexit, and advocate firmness vis-à-vis Russia. They also support the very controversial agreement signed with Rwanda, where asylum seekers will be sent while the British authorities examine their case.
First big meeting to come: the results of the internet votes of the “Tories” should be known on Monday, September 5, before a formal act on Tuesday. Boris Johnson will then hand in his resignation to Elizabeth II at her summer residence at Balmoral in Scotland, a first for the 96-year-old sovereign who has difficulty moving around and will not make the trip to London. His successor will follow to become the 15th head of government in the monarch’s 70-year reign, before returning to London to deliver his first speech outside 10 Downing Street, form his government and face opposition leader Keir Starmer on Wednesday. for the first time in Parliament.