United Kingdom | Liz Truss officially becomes British Prime Minister

(London) Entering Downing Street, Prime Minister Liz Truss on Tuesday appointed a government of very right-wing loyalists, marked by unprecedented diversity and responsible for pulling the United Kingdom out of the economic and social “storm” caused by the surge. energy prices.

After a campaign on the promise of tax cuts, the third British female head of government, after Margaret Thatcher (1979-1990) and Theresa May (2016-2019), takes office in the midst of an economic emergency, given the historic fall purchasing power caused by rising energy bills.

As soon as she returned from Scotland, where Queen Elizabeth II officially invited her to form a government in place of Boris Johnson, she appointed the first heavyweights of her government.

For the first time, none of the four main executive positions – Prime Minister, Finance, Interior and Foreign Affairs – is thus occupied by a white man. These are personalities who are for the most part very conservative and loyal to Liz Truss, with however the classic background of the British elite.

A discreet former Secretary of State at the Foreign Office, James Cleverly, 53, whose mother is from Sierra Leone, becomes head of diplomacy. Suella Braverman, a 42-year-old former lawyer, inherits the Interior and the file of illegal Channel crossings.

Above all, Kwasi Kwarteng, the 47-year-old son of immigrants from Ghana, is promoted to the post of finance minister, on the front line of inflation that exceeds 10%, the highest of the G7 countries, and threatens to worsen. and plunge the country into its longest recession since the 2008 financial crisis.

The first council of ministers will meet on Wednesday morning before the new leader faces opposition leader Keir Starmer in parliament for the first time.

Measures “this week”

“We must not be intimidated by the challenges we face,” said Liz Truss to dozens of MPs gathered outside her Downing Street residence, who had to shelter from the pouring rain a few minutes before her arrival. “As strong as the storm is, I know the British people are stronger. […] I am convinced that together we can weather the storm and rebuild our economy”.

She reiterated her promises of a “bold plan” of tax cuts and to act “this week” to help households strangled by energy bills. According to British media, it is due to announce on Thursday a plan worth tens of billions of pounds to freeze electricity and gas prices, which are supposed to increase by 80% in October.

The one who was until now head of diplomacy, with a willingly belligerent tone against Russia or China, said she wanted to “defend freedom and democracy everywhere in the world, with (the) allies” of the United Kingdom.

She had her first telephone conversation with US President Joe Biden. The two leaders “agreed on the importance of protecting” peace in Northern Ireland, Downing Street said, as Liz Truss, as head of diplomacy, introduced a law reversing customs provisions under the post-Brexit status of Northern Ireland.

Liz Truss also pledged her “full support” for Ukraine on Tuesday in a first call to President Volodymyr Zelensky.

On the domestic scene, Liz Truss will have a lot to do to bring together a divided Conservative Party, in power for twelve years, and now largely outdistanced by Labor in the polls two years from the scheduled date of the next general election.

The day after her election by 57% of some 142,000 voting members of the Conservative Party (compared to 43% for her rival Rishi Sunak), Liz Truss was received at the Scottish castle of Balmoral by Queen Elizabeth II. The sovereign had chosen this unusual setting to avoid returning to London given her difficulties in getting around.

Johnson pledges his support

Footage from the hearing shows the Queen with a cane, wearing a tartan skirt and cardigan, shaking hands with the one who became the 15^e prime minister for his 70-year reign.

Two months after the announcement of his departure, Boris Johnson had preceded her to Balmoral to present his resignation, which the queen “graciously accepted”.

In a brief speech outside Downing Street in the early hours of the morning, Boris Johnson hailed his own record to a crowd of supporters and aides. He compared himself to a “rocket having accomplished its mission” and re-entering the atmosphere. “I will offer this government my most fervent support,” he assured.

Exit the Brexit hero: after three years and 44 days, barely more than Theresa May, whom he replaced in 2019, Boris Johnson left what he called “the best job in the world”, after a series of scandals and dozens of resignations in his close entourage at the beginning of July.