Liz Truss made history in September 2022 when she became the first woman to lead the Conservative Party and the second female prime minister of the United Kingdom. However, her tenure was cut short by a government crisis that forced her to resign after only 50 days in office, making her the shortest-serving prime minister in British history. How did she rise to the top of British politics and what led to her downfall?
Early life and career
Liz Truss was born on 26 July 1975 in Oxford, England, to left-leaning parents. Her father was a professor of mathematics and her mother was a nurse, a teacher, and an anti-nuclear activist. Truss was exposed to politics from a young age, attending demonstrations against the policies of Margaret Thatcher, whom she would later admire.
Truss studied politics, philosophy, and economics at Merton College, Oxford, where she became president of the Liberal Democrats, a centre-left party. She supported abolishing the monarchy and advocated for social and environmental causes. However, she soon became disillusioned with the party and joined the Conservatives in 1996, attracted by their pro-market and pro-Europe stance.
Truss worked as a management consultant and a think tank director before entering politics. She unsuccessfully ran for parliament twice, in 2001 and 2005, before winning the seat for South West Norfolk in 2010. She quickly rose through the ranks of the Conservative Party, holding various cabinet positions under three prime ministers: David Cameron, Theresa May, and Boris Johnson.
Prime ministerial bid
Truss’s ambition to become prime minister was evident when she launched her leadership campaign in September 2022, following Boris Johnson’s resignation amid a scandal involving his personal and financial affairs. Truss portrayed herself as a modern and dynamic leader who could unite the party and the country after the Brexit turmoil. She also promised to deliver a “Global Britain” that would strengthen its ties with allies and partners around the world.
Truss won the support of many Conservative MPs and members, who saw her as a competent and charismatic candidate who could appeal to a wide range of voters. She also benefited from the endorsement of Johnson, who praised her as his “natural successor”. Truss defeated her main rival, Rishi Sunak, the chancellor of the exchequer, in a close vote, becoming the leader of the Conservative Party and the prime minister on 6 September 2022.
Prime ministerial challenges
Truss faced a number of challenges as prime minister, both at home and abroad. She had to deal with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which had claimed more than 200,000 lives in the UK and caused severe economic and social disruption. She also had to navigate the complex and contentious relationship with the European Union, which had been strained by the Brexit process and its aftermath. She also had to confront the rising threats from Russia, China, and Iran, as well as the instability in the Middle East and Africa.
Truss tried to address these issues by pursuing a pragmatic and collaborative approach, seeking to balance the interests and values of the UK with those of its allies and partners. She also tried to project a positive and optimistic vision of the UK’s role and influence in the world, emphasizing its strengths in trade, diplomacy, and security. She also tried to promote a more inclusive and diverse society, championing the rights and opportunities of women and minorities.
Prime ministerial downfall
However, Truss’s premiership was short-lived and turbulent, as she faced a series of crises and controversies that eroded her authority and popularity. She was accused of mishandling the COVID-19 response, failing to contain the spread of the virus and its variants, and imposing unpopular and inconsistent restrictions and measures.
She was also criticized for her foreign policy decisions, such as joining the AUKUS pact with the US and Australia, which angered France and other European allies, and withdrawing troops from Afghanistan, which contributed to the Taliban takeover and the humanitarian crisis.
Truss’s biggest challenge came from within her own party, as she faced a revolt from a faction of hardline Brexiteers, who opposed her attempts to improve relations with the EU and to implement the Northern Ireland Protocol, which created a customs border in the Irish Sea.
The rebels, led by Jacob Rees-Mogg, the leader of the House of Commons, threatened to bring down her government by voting against her budget and triggering a confidence vote. Truss tried to appease them by offering concessions and compromises, but to no avail.
Truss’s fate was sealed on 25 October 2022, when she lost the confidence vote by a narrow margin, 314 to 311. She announced her resignation as prime minister and leader of the Conservative Party, saying that she had done her best to serve the country and the party, but that it was time for a new leader to take over. She was succeeded by Rishi Sunak, who won the leadership election with the support of the Brexiteers and the moderates.
Legacy and future
Truss’s legacy as prime minister is likely to be mixed and controversial, as she will be remembered for both her achievements and her failures. She will be praised for breaking the glass ceiling and becoming the first female leader of the Conservative Party and the second female prime minister of the UK, following in the footsteps of Thatcher. She will also be credited for her efforts to advance the UK’s interests and values in the world, especially in the Indo-Pacific region, and to foster a more diverse and inclusive society at home.
However, she will also be blamed for her inability to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, which worsened the public health and economic situation in the UK, and to manage the Brexit fallout, which damaged the UK’s relations with the EU and its neighbours. She will also be criticized for her lack of leadership and vision, which allowed her to be undermined and ousted by her own party.
Truss’s future as a politician is uncertain, as she faces an uphill battle to rebuild her reputation and influence. She remains the MP for South West Norfolk, but she has not been given a cabinet position by Sunak, who has appointed his own allies and supporters.
Truss has said that she will continue to serve her constituents and the country, and that she will not rule out another run for the leadership in the future. However, she faces a formidable challenge from Sunak, who has emerged as the dominant figure in the Conservative Party and the UK politics.
What Are Some Of Liz Truss Accomplishments?
Some of her accomplishments are:
She became the first woman to lead the Conservative Party and the second female prime minister of the UK, following Margaret Thatcher.
She was the foreign secretary from 2021 to 2022, where she negotiated trade deals with several countries and joined the AUKUS pact with the US and Australia.
She was the minister for women and equalities from 2019 to 2022, where she championed the rights and opportunities of women and minorities.
She held various other cabinet positions under three prime ministers, such as justice secretary, environment secretary, international trade secretary, and chief secretary to the treasury.
She was the president of the Oxford University Liberal Democrats and the deputy director of the think tank Reform before joining the Conservative Party.
She won the seat for South West Norfolk in 2010 and has been reelected four times since then.
Controversy And Activism Of Liz Truss
Some of the controversies and activism that marked her career are:
She switched from being a left-wing Liberal Democrat to a right-wing Conservative, and advocated for free markets, low taxes, and Brexit.
She clashed with the judiciary over human rights and prison reform when she was justice secretary, and was accused of failing to defend the independence of the judges .
She championed the rights and opportunities of women and minorities as the minister for women and equalities, and launched a plan to ban conversion therapy and reform the Gender Recognition Act .
She negotiated trade deals with several countries as the international trade secretary, and joined the AUKUS pact with the US and Australia as the foreign secretary, which angered France and other European allies .
She sacked her close ally Kwasi Kwarteng as the chancellor and ditched her flagship policy of cutting corporation tax to appease the markets and the rebels in her party, but failed to save her leadership .
Who Are Some Of Liz Truss's Allies And Enemies?
Some of her allies were:
Kwasi Kwarteng, who was her close friend and chancellor until she sacked him in a desperate attempt to save her leadership.
Boris Johnson, who endorsed her as his “natural successor” and praised her as a “brilliant” foreign secretary.
Suella Braverman, Tom Tugendhat, Kemi Badenoch, Penny Mordaunt, and Nadhim Zahawi, who were her leadership rivals but were given senior cabinet roles by her.
Some of her enemies were:
Rishi Sunak, who was her main challenger for the Tory leadership and who succeeded her as prime minister after she lost a confidence vote.
Jacob Rees-Mogg, who led a revolt of hardline Brexiteers against her attempts to improve relations with the EU and to implement the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Tom Scholar, who was the Treasury Permanent Secretary and who was sacked by her for being seen as the "personification of Treasury orthodoxy".
The “anti-growth coalition”, which was her term for the opposition parties, the unions, the think tanks, the media, and the activists who criticized her policies and vision.
France and other European allies, who were angered by her joining the AUKUS pact with the US and Australia, which was seen as a snub to their security interests.
Conclusion
Liz Truss was a remarkable and controversial figure in British politics, who rose from being a left-wing activist to becoming the first female leader of the Conservative Party and the second female prime minister of the UK.
She had a brief and turbulent tenure as prime minister, facing multiple challenges and crises at home and abroad, and ultimately losing the confidence of her own party. She left behind a mixed and disputed legacy, but also a trail of achievements and ambitions that will inspire and influence future generations of politicians and leaders.
