In the race to become the next prime minister of the United Kingdom, Liz Truss is pitted against her party’s Indian-origin leader Rishi Sunak. While Sunak has the backing of Conservative Party MPs as seen in several rounds of voting that happened recently, Truss enjoys great support among the party’s grassroots members. These party members from the entire country, and not just MPs, will vote on September 2 to decide who becomes the next PM. This will happen after several televised debates and campaigning among the people.
Truss has come on top in several polls conducted by conservative websites, and as of July 25, The Economist magazine’s live tracker said that chances of her winning were at 66 per cent.
Who is Liz Truss?
Truss, 46, hails from north of England, a region that is traditionally a stronghold of the opposition Labour Party. The Oxford native herself identified as a Social Democrat, an affiliation close to Centrist policies, earlier.
Elizabeth Truss read philosophy, politics and economics at the Oxford University and according to a BBC report, from there on she became more inclined towards Conservative ideals of reduced role of the government, and greater role of the private sector in the economy. She worked in the energy and telecommunications industry for 10 years as a commercial manager, among other jobs in the private sector.
Rising through the ranks
After a few unsuccessful attempts to contest elections in the 2000s, she won a seat in the House of Commons in 2010. In 2012, Truss became the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Education and Childcare, and later held portfolios related to environment, food and rural affairs, and she has referenced this experience in her campaigning.
The most prestigious among the posts she has held is that of the Secretary of Foreign Affairs or the Foreign Minister since September 2021.
Truss has been at the helm as foreign secretary during the ongoing war in Ukraine, often invoking sanctions against Russia and strongly condemning Russian President Vladimir Putin. She has also been in-charge of negotiating with the EU over Brexit, though she voted against the referendum to leave the EU in 2016. Later, she said she was wrong and now appreciates the “opportunities” being provided as a result.
Policies and appeal among voters
Truss has said she is inspired by the UK’s former prime minister Margaret Thatcher, who was known for deeply following Conservative ideals in her policies and is a revered figure among conservatives.
Truss was photographed in a tank last year, evoking comparisons to a famous 1986 photo of Thatcher.
She has proposed immediate tax cuts, especially given the rise in taxes brought on by Sunak as the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Sunak said in a recent TV debate that the raise was to fund the country’s public health system during Covid-19.
In a campaign video, Truss said she is “committed to core conservative principles, low taxes, a firm grip on spending, driving growth in the economy”, and stressed on her experience in the government. She said she would begin working on day one toward “ensuring Putin loses in Ukraine”, and will “deliver on the opportunities of Brexit”. She termed “economy, security, environment” as the major challenges facing Britain at the moment.
In an interview with The Telegraph, she said: “I will be unashamedly pro-business in driving investment”.
She also tweeted, “With the vision I’ve set out and the delivery I’ve shown – I can beat Keir Starmer and win the next election”, referring to the Labour Party’s leader and appealing to party members who may consider the fact that the UK general elections are in two years.
Both candidates support the government’s controversial policy of sending illegal migrants in the UK to Rwanda, though the first deportation flight was blocked last month by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). Truss has further said she would increase the border force by 20 per cent.
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