Liz Truss is powerless, humiliated, dubbed a “ghost” prime minister, and compared unfavourably to a head of lettuce. Britain’s prime minister was scrambling Tuesday to regain control after her economic plans were ripped up and repudiated by a Treasury chief she was forced to appoint to avoid a financial market meltdown.
Truss remains in office for the time being, owing to a schism within her Conservative Party over how to replace her. She held a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, where there was a “in-depth discussion” of the new economic plan, according to her spokesman, and no one asked her to resign.
However, experts believe an ‘ousting’ is imminent for Truss. A report by the Guardian explores the four ways the UK PM could lose her post:
‘Men in Grey’ Succumb to the Pressure
More Tory MPs than the half dozen who have already gone public could openly call for Truss to resign if they believe she has lost the ability to pull her premiership back from the brink. Backbenchers and ministers decide that moving quickly is the best course of action because they are afraid that the longer they wait, the less chance there is of repairing the damage she has done to the Conservative brand, the report explains.
With all vacant positions on the 1922 Committee of backbencher Tory MPs filled, the “men in grey suits” may succumb to pressure to change internal party rules and allow a no-confidence vote as the number of letters calling for one mounts – far exceeding the 15% threshold that would normally trigger one. Graham Brady, the chairman of the 1922 Committee, who has been meeting with Truss on a regular basis, could instead go to her one last time, as he did with Boris Johnson and Theresa May, and tell her to fall on her sword or be forced out the hard way.
A ‘Hunt’ Out for Liz
With Jeremy Hunt having calmed the markets and most MPs’ nerves in his first four days in office, all eyes are on the major measures he will announce on October 31. The chancellor has already stated that drastic spending cuts are likely, and he has hinted at possible tax increases to close roughly half of the estimated £70 billion fiscal gap. These moves are likely to spark accusations of a return to austerity and criticism that public services will be stretched even further at a time when budgets are already stretched due to high levels of inflation. In such a scenario, MPs may decide to vote against Truss.
Byelection Loss
Rumours are circulating in Westminster that Tory MPs are considering resigning from parliament in order to avoid being pushed out in a potential election wipeout.
They believe their stock is still relatively high while the party is in power, but that if Labour wins, their value to future employers looking for key contacts and policy insight will be significantly reduced. With that in mind, some are considering calling a byelection, which could cause major problems for Truss.
Some sitting MPs may be forced to resign if they receive peerages on Johnson’s resignation honours list, the report explains. Given Truss’s near-zero personal ratings and the Conservative party trailing by 30 points in most polls, it would be a bruising campaign trail – and the results would rekindle MPs’ fears that hundreds of their seats would be lost in the general election. Poor byelection results aided Johnson’s demise, with the party chair, Oliver Dowden, resigning as one of the first cabinet members after the Tiverton and Honiton constituency flipped to the Lib Dems and Wakefield to Labour.
Local Polls the Final Battle
Even if Truss is fortunate and avoids any immediate tests of the Conservatives’ electoral success, she will not be able to do so indefinitely. Local elections posed a risk for Johnson, whose party had a disastrous night, losing control of its flagship council in London, Wandsworth. Many shire councils will be up for election in May of next year, and the mood among councillors is already gloomy.
“Councillors know their seats are under threat next year, and Liz Truss is the real reason,” one senior Tory local government figure told the Guardian. “We’re resigned to losing control [of our council], as most are,” said another.
Read all the Latest Explainers News and Breaking News here
Comments
0 comment