TRUSS WINS, RISHI INSPIRES

Liz Truss defeats rival Rishi Sunak with 81,326 votes to 60,399 among party members, becoming the third woman Prime Minister of the United Kingdom after Margaret Thatcher and Theresa May.

Shefali Saxena Tuesday 06th September 2022 13:54 EDT
 

Mary Elizabeth Truss took oath as the next UK Prime Minister on Tuesday after defeating Rishi Sunak in the Conservative leadership contest. Considering the earlier lead forecast for Liz Truss, she only got 57% votes, defeating Sunak with approximately a 14% margin. This indicates that colour was not important in this election and for the first time a non-white candidate made this far in the leadership race. 

 

In her first speech as the PM, Liz Truss said she is confident the U.K. can “ride out the storm” and listed tackling energy prices, securing energy supply and improving Britain’s health services as her top priorities. “I will deal with the energy crisis caused by Putin’s war,” Truss told reporters on the steps of 10 Downing Street.

 

It is reported that Rishi Sunak, is not expected to be offered a job in PM Truss’s first Cabinet. 

 

While Truss won, Sunak’s defeat put an end to a big dream for the British Indian community. But the diaspora here and across the globe beamed with pride and drew inspiration from Mr Sunak’s resilience.

 

Lord Rami Ranger CBE posted a heart-warming tweet, saying, “Great credit to Rishi Sunak for running an effective campaign. You have inspired billions of people worldwide with your determination and commitment to the nation. Better luck next time.” 

NISAU UK Chairperson Saman Arora further resonated with the sentiment of Sunak’s supporters in the community. She tweeted: “Liz Truss many congratulations on behalf of NISAU UK - may you lead this great United Kingdom to prosperity. Rishi Sunak thank you for inspiring millions & showing us the art of the possible. Onwards & upwards!”

 

Home Secretary quits

 

Soon after the election of the new PM, Home Secretary Priti Patel who was not expected to keep her job in the new cabinet, sent her resignation to Boris Johnson, saying that she will extend her full support towards Truss and said, “It is my choice to continue my public service to the country and the Witham constituency from the backbenches, once Liz formally assumes office and a new home secretary is appointed.” Maintaining her loyalty to Johnson, Patel was one of the few cabinet ministers who did not declare their support for either Ms Truss or her leadership rival, Rishi Sunak.

 

Johnson’s last speech

 

On Tuesday morning, Boris Johnson delivered his final speech as the Prime Minister outside No.10 and later flew to Scotland to offer his full resignation to the Queen. Johnson said “this is it folks” and took an indirect dig at the Tories of “changing the rules halfway through”. The same afternoon, Liz Truss met the Queen at the royal family’s Scottish home to be asked by the 96-year-old monarch to form a government. 

 

A daunting list of problems for any post-war leader in Britain awaits Truss, as inflation hits double digits, the cost of energy soars and the Bank of England warns of a lengthy recession by the end of this year. 

 

In his last speech, Johnson reiterated that Britain would continue to have that economic strength to give people the cash they need to get through this energy crisis that has been caused by Putin’s vicious war.

 

“And I know that Liz Truss and this compassionate Conservative Government will do everything we can to get people through this crisis. And this country will endure it and we will win. And if Putin thinks he can succeed by blackmailing or bullying the British people then he is utterly deluded,” he said. 

What Truss’ win means for India

 

Boris Johnson was hailed as India’s ‘Jamai’ (son-in-law) while he was married to his Indian origin wife Marina Wheeler and his foreign relations with India have been warm for the longest time. Had Sunak won, being the Indian tycoon NR Narayan Murthy’s son-in-law and as someone whose grand-parents hailed from Punjab (British India), the possibilities to further strengthen the UK-India partnership would have been limitless. However, Liz Truss has developed a strong relationship with India both as Foreign Secretary and previously as Trade Secretary.  A source close to Asian Voice told us that Truss is ‘well placed to follow-up on the UK-India partnership and continue to prioritise a Free Trade Agreement – if not by Diwali then certainly in the coming year.’   

 

“Rishi Sunak fought a strong campaign and the result was closer than expected, albeit a clear win for Liz Truss.  Sunak should be appointed to a senior position in the Cabinet, ideally as Foreign Secretary, but it doesn’t look like Liz Truss will be big enough to offer him such a role. The policy differences between Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak were less on UK-India relations and more on domestic economic policy – where Rishi wanted to prioritise tackling inflation and help on the cost of living – rather than tax cuts.  It feels like Liz Truss is now pivoting towards some of the policies advocated by Rishi Sunak, having won the membership vote,” the source told the newsweekly.

 

Prime Minister Modi’s message of congratulations to Liz Truss, expressing hopes for strengthening the bilateral relationship, demonstrates that there is a willingness on both sides. 

 

Britain and India’s respective stances on the Russia-Ukraine war have always been a matter of scrutiny by the public and press. It is imperative to note that among the three official visits that Liz Truss made to India as the Foreign Secretary of UK, the one in March 2022 awkwardly coincided with the presence of her Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov. 

 

During her India visit in March-end, Minister of External Affairs of India, S Jaishankar and Truss discussed the divergences between India and the UK on the issue of sanctions on Russia. 

 

Responding to questions on India buying oil from Russia at discounted rates, Truss said: “I have outlined the UK’s approach to sanctions and the fact that we are ending our dependence on Russian oil by the end of this year… I think it is very important that we respect other countries’ decisions about the issues they face.

India is a sovereign nation. I am not going to tell India what to do…” 

The British High Commissioner to India Alex Ellis said, “Liz Truss will further strengthen the UK-India comprehensive strategic partnership. She knows India well and has visited 3 times in the last 18 months. She re-kickstarted our trade negotiations which are now in full swing”.

Now is the time for the party to reunite 

 

Commenting, Conservative Party Chairman the Rt Hon Andrew Stephenson MP who resigned later on Tuesdaysaid: “I’d like to congratulate Liz Truss on her election as our new leader. This contest has shown the strength of our Party across the UK, with twelve sold-out hustings filling concert halls, hippodromes and arenas and over six hundred questions answered. Now is the time for our Party to unite behind our new leader and get on with the important work of delivering for the people of our country and tackling the challenges ahead.”

 

Lord Dolar Popat, Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Rwanda, Uganda and DRC said, “After a close leadership contest, Liz Truss has won and will be our next Prime Minister. During her time as Secretary of State for International Trade and Foreign Secretary, she built up a good relationship with the Trade Minister of India, Piyush Goyal. This will help the UK to conclude the negotiations of a Free-Trade Agreement with India which will significantly strengthen our relationship and close cooperation. Liz Truss will continue to strengthen the relationship we have with India and has been a supporter calling India a ‘great friend, economic powerhouse and the world’s largest democracy.’ I have every confidence that her premiership will see us conclude a trade deal with India and continue to build on the partnership we have with India. We may not have seen the election of the first British Indian Prime Minister this time but with many British Indians including Suella Braverman and Ranil Jayawardena who are tipped to serve in the next cabinet rising up, I am confident that we are not far from that happening. Rishi’s campaign has been an inspiration to British Indians as well as people from other immigrant backgrounds as he has shown that we are able to participate at all levels of society. I wish Liz Truss all the best as she takes on the difficult task of being Prime Minister and look forward to working with her and the new cabinet.”

 

In an official statement, Ameet Jogia MBE, Reena Ranger OBE and Nayaz Qazi, from the Conservative Friends of India said, “Conservative Friends of India are delighted to congratulate and welcome Liz Truss as our new Prime Minister. She has been a formidable candidate and her plan to address the various global challenges has been well received. As a former Trade and Foreign Secretary, Liz is particularly well placed to strengthen bilateral links with India. Overall, the leadership contest was a great success in reflecting the engagement of our members. Our commiserations go out to Rishi Sunak who led a fantastic campaign. As a British Indian, Rishi has travelled a path unimaginable and one that because of his efforts, can now be imagined. However, now is the time to unite and deliver the things that matter for the United Kingdom. We should be proud that the Conservative Party is the most diverse and inclusive Party we have in Britain.”

New Tory Leader offers more of the same

 

Labour MP Virendra Sharma said, “Speaking to my constituents they are outraged that only a small handful of the country have chosen the PM, while Tory MPs wanted Rishi Sunak, members have backed Liz Truss, this is a recipe for crisis. They are furious the government offers nothing on the cost of living and that the PM and Chancellor broke the law during covid restrictions. I hope we can have some real change, not a fresh lick of paint with a new Tory PM, but fresh ideas with a general election.”

 

The need for a serious plan 

 

Tony Danker, CBI Director-General, said, “Congratulations to the new Prime Minister. This is an extraordinarily difficult time to be leading the country, and she has businesses’ full support in meeting shared challenges together, head on.

“Most immediately, support for struggling households and firms in jeopardy is top of the in-tray. This may not be the pandemic, but the exceptional circumstances we now face mean Government must play a central role in supporting our economy.

“And if we’re serious about getting the UK growing again, ensuring any slowdown is short and shallow, we need a serious plan for growth. It needs to be bold, unconventional and rooted in the very real opportunities that still exist for the UK to thrive.”

 

UKIBC Managing Director Kevin McCole told the newsweekly, “We at the UKIBC believe that new UK Prime Minister, Liz Truss, will continue to champion the UK-India relationship, putting it at the centre of her approach to foreign affairs. In part, this is because of the hugely successful diaspora community in the UK. It is also because our two countries’ economies are so complementary and getting even closer and stronger, particularly with FTA negotiations intensifying as we move towards the Diwali deadline for concluding the majority of talks. It is also worth noting that Ms Truss’ has already shown great commitment to the bilateral relationship – first as Trade Secretary and most recently as Foreign Secretary. She has been a regular visitor to India and built a strong rapport with her counterparts in Delhi. So the signs are very positive, and it is our strong belief that the UK-India relationship will continue to benefit from the political will on both sides of the bilateral corridor. We also extend our congratulations to Rishi Sunak on a very positive run in the leadership contest – a swing of only 11,000 voters would have given the UK its first British Indian PM. Mr Sunak’s successful rise is a great example of the valuable and immensely successful British Indian community across the UK.”

 

Speaking to Asian Voice, Rahul Roy-Chaudhury, Senior Fellow for South Asia, IISS said, “With Boris Johnson’s departure, India loses a ‘champion’ for stronger bilateral ties. Although new prime minister Liz Truss is expected to continue Johnson’s outreach towards India, it will be given less priority in view of her primarily domestic economic and political challenges in the run-up to the next general elections. The single exception will be the prospective trade deal with India, expected to be signed by the end of the year.

 

“As Trade and then Foreign Secretary Truss visited India three times since February 2021. She was clear that India was a “vital strategic partner for the UK”, despite policy divergences over the Russia-Ukraine war. But, Truss’ personal relations with Modi will not be as ‘vibrant’ as those of her predecessor.

 

“If Rishi Sunak had become prime minister, he would, perhaps, have been more constrained than Truss in projecting the relationship to prevent being seen as ‘partisan’ towards India. In contrast to Truss, Sunak did not visit India during his two-and-a-half years as Chancellor”.

 

Justice Secretary and Deputy PM Dominic Raab, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps and Health Secretary Steve Barclay have left government.


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