Author丨Hu Yukun
Edit丨Qi Fei
Just 45 days after taking office, British Prime Minister Liz Truss announced his resignation on October 20 local time, becoming the "shortest-lived" prime minister in British history - shorter than George Canning, who died of illness in 1827.
Tras' "speed of light" dismounted, putting her biographer in an embarrassing situation - the biography "Unexpected" that wrote about how she reached the peak of British power was originally scheduled to be launched on December 8 this year, and may add new chapters before publication.
The resignation before Tras was Kwasi Kwarteng, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, a month and a half ago, and Suella Braverman, the former, who made a "big earthquake" in the UK financial markets due to the enacting radical tax cuts, and the latter voluntarily resigned due to a mistake in the workflow and in his resignation letter he called it the direction of the current government's governance.
Britain and the whole world seem to have expected this dramatic moment. In late September, the economic revitalization policy announced by Tras caused huge turmoil in the financial market, causing a sharp drop in pounds and treasury bonds to be sold. Coupled with a series of policies, the trust of the Conservative Party and the public in her was exhausted.
Tras was originally highly anticipated. She is the third female prime minister in British history. The first two are Margaret Thatcher , known as " Iron Lady ," and Theresa May , who has experienced the chaos in Brexit. She is also the last prime minister appointed by Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. What happened before she quit?
On October 20, Trass delivered a speech at No. 10 Downing Street, the British Prime Minister's House, announcing his resignation as Prime Minister.
From claiming to be a "fighter" to announcing his resignation 48 hours
"I am a fighter, not a person who gives up easily!" On October 19, the voice of "resignation" resounded throughout the House of Commons of Westminster Palace in the UK, and Tras responded in a firm tone.
Official data released on this day showed that the UK's inflation rate rose to 10.1% in September this year, returning to the 40-year high that first hit in July this year. For this reason, the leader of the opposition Labor Party, Starmer, issued a series of parallel questions: "The 45% tax cuts are gone, the corporate tax cuts are gone, the 20% tax cuts are gone, the two-year energy price freezes, the duty-free shopping is gone, the economic reputation is gone, and her (Tras) so-called best friend and former Chancellor of the Exchequer have also left. Everything is gone, so why is she still here?"
, who is determined to become the "new Iron Lady", never thought that this was the last time she was so "iron-solid" in public. The implementation of the most radical tax cut plan in 50 years has caused another parliamentary "bullying" storm on the same day.
Tras' tax cut policy has caused the pound to fall sharply (Source: New York Times)
In order to alleviate the ongoing severe energy crisis,Tras decided to restore hydraulic fracking technology at the beginning of his term of office and lift restrictions on the mining of shale gas , which aroused doubts from environmentalists and opponents inside and outside the party, and directly violated the promise of the 2019 Conservative Party campaign manifesto.
On October 19, facing the motion of Labour Party to ban fracturing , the Tlas cabinet suddenly announced that the vote for this motion was a "vote of confidence" for the cabinet. In other words, party members who do not vote for support for Tlas will be regarded as unperception of party discipline and expelled from the party.
One stone stirs up a thousand layers of waves. Many British media reported in the parliamentary hall said that many Conservative MPs who opposed Trass' proposal were "bullying" and "roughly treated" by their personalities. Labour MP Chris Bryant even bluntly said that he had witnessed "obvious bullying and threats". Another Labour MP Anna McMolin also saw a Conservative MP being forcibly taken away and burst into tears after the vote.
Conservative MP Charles Walker believes that this is "a chaos and a shame."He said in an interview with the BBC (BBC), "I hope it is worth it to sit at the cabinet table because they (the one who got Tras elected) have caused great damage to our party."
October 5, two British environmentalists held protest placards while Tras gave a speech at the Conservative Party meeting.
Although cabinet ministers denied that the Tlass cabinet also thwarted the Labor motion, rumors that the Conservative Party’s whip Wendy Morton and Craig Whitaker were about to resign (and was later denied by the Prime Minister’s Office). Jason Stan, a key aide to Trass, was also suspended earlier that day because of a briefing hostile to Prime Minister critics within the Conservative Party.
The chaotic scene of this day conveyed a lot of information: Tras raised the vote of a common bill to the height of the cabinet's vote of trust, which undoubtedly forced the "whole party to save one person" to fight with all his might; those party members who were angry because of "bullying" voted against Tras against their will in order to protect their MPs (and the future removal of the prime minister). But the rare chaotic scene at the scene has made the fact that Tras made enemies on all sides of the party public.
It happened to be a book. On the same day, the second cabinet minister left Tras. Home Secretary Braverman submitted his resignation to him because he used private email to send official documents, which violated the cabinet regulations. The British media generally believe that this is just her excuse, and the real reason is that she has been "completely disappointed" with the Trass cabinet. "We have violated the key commitments made to voters, and I am seriously concerned about the government's ability to fulfill its promises," Braverman said in his resignation letter. "Although the reasons vary, it is the same that all dynamic changes within the party are moving in a direction that is not conducive to Trass. On October 19, there were six members of the party who were said to have publicly demanded that Tras resign. By the 20th, the list had increased multiple times, and Tras was busy meeting with groups of party members at the official residence, or "forced the palace" in person.
At this moment, the Labor Party, which is 36 percentage points ahead of the Conservative Party in poll support rating, is spared no effort to call for early elections, thereby "changing the world" and ending the chaos after the Conservative Party's 12 years in power. Just as Johnson 5 was forced to ward off three months ago, Conservative MPs increasingly felt that Tras was becoming a bad "negative asset" within the party, and it was time to "sacrifice one person to save the whole party."
htmlOn the 20th, Tras met with Graham Brady, chairman of the Conservative Party's "1922 Committee", and tried to communicate with the backbenchers within the party and make a last-ditch effort. At this time, Brady had received letters of distrust against Tras from some party members, and the "1922 Committee" had the right to set rules for the choice and change of the Conservative leader. The result of this meeting also determined the fate of Tras.suspense was soon revealed: When British netizens were teasing "Which is a longer shelf life of the prime minister's career or lettuce", or "Whether Trace can celebrate Halloween on Downing Street ", her resignation statement "will arrive early", temporarily ending her personal questions about where she will go, but added more uncertainty to the turbulent British politics.
Tras became the "short-lived" prime minister in British history.
Prime Minister's Office Experience Card expires in 45 days, and Trass sets the record for the shortest term of office of the British Prime Minister.Appointed by Elizabeth II and submitted his resignation to Charles III . Tras, who came and went in a hurry in the historical turning point, left behind a lesson worth thinking about:
has implemented "neoliberalism" to be more extreme and "fundamentalist" than Mrs. Thatcher . Even if we consider the logic of electoral politics, can we please voters or offend voters?
In the Westminster parliamentary party that traditionally emphasizes democracy, how can we build the leadership of the party leader, promote effective governance, and solve practical problems, while taking into account the voices of people from different factions, and not leave behind a "destructive democracy" and "arbitrary and arrogant" style?
is represented by the Conservative Party, which has "six years and four leaders changed", and the British parliamentary party has repeatedly proved that it has the ability to replace inappropriate party leaders and correct mistakes in a timely manner. However, when the British "New Politician" lamented that the Conservative Party's talent pool was drained, how to choose a suitable leader and lead the country to continue moving forward with a steady leadership level?
After Tras announced his resignation, British netizens were so joking.
Johnson wants to "enter the second visit to the palace", who will the next prime minister be?
As for the current issue, the top priority of the Conservative Party is undoubtedly to elect a new leader, and the UK also needs to determine a new prime minister. In her resignation speech, Tras has stated that the Conservative Party will elect a new leader next week, but who can become a reliable prime minister in just a few days has become the most concerned issue for major British media. The hottest on the
shortlist is undoubtedly a strong contender who was beaten by Tras in the party election a few months ago.
At that time, former Chancellor Rich Sunak led the way in the party MP vote, but fell in the last round of party member votes. This "seed player" with a professional finance and economics background and experience in participating in local governance seems to be the most suitable "answer" within the party when the pound depreciation, severe inflation, energy crisis, labor-management disputes and other issues are emerging one after another.
Poll data about the next prime minister
Previously, in the party leader's campaign debate, Sunak discussed that Tras' economic policy plan was a disaster. Facts confirm Sunak's judgment, but whether this "conservative orthodox" can solve the urgent needs of people's livelihood in special times tests the patience of the British political arena and society.
For him, the greater constraint is still within the party: because Sunak once stabbed Johnson in the back, many Conservatives still find it difficult to let go and are unwilling to support him. In addition, British media pointed out that Sunak's wealthy family is in sharp contrast with the hardships of life in the British people today.
Sunak lost to Tras in August's Conservative Leadership campaign.
Another candidate who is comparable to Sunak is the current House of Commons leader Penny Modant . Her performance this summer was eye-catching and ranked third in the party elections. She has served as the Minister of International Development and Defense Minister, and has a background resume of Royal Navy , which may be worth looking forward to. Like Sunak, she belongs to a relatively moderate faction within the Conservative Party and criticizes Tras's position on fiscal and welfare policies, but some people question that she may not be as good as Tras in domestic governance.
Among the "runners" at that time, Tugendat and Badnoch were no longer within the consideration of various media; the "Chinese son-in-law" who returned by the replacement of the Chancellor of the Finance Minister and was once regarded as the "most powerful person", also made it clear that he would not participate in the party leader's election; the Home Secretary Braverman, who had just resigned, was mentioned by some British media. At the same time, other candidates are emerging on paper with higher visibility, especially the possibility of the "second entry into the palace" drama is increasing.
The new British Chancellor of the Exchequer Hunter will outline his financial plan on October 31.
Shortly after Tras resigned, the British " Times " revealed that Johnson, who was replaced by Tras, intends to participate in the Conservative Party election and tries to re-enter No. 10 Downing Street . Johnson has ended his family leave early and his supporters are re-active on social networks.
html In early July, a wave of cabinet resignations and the forced sanctions of many members of parliament forced Johnson to retreat, but against the backdrop of Trass, Sky News Network quoted a poll and found that 63% of Conservatives believed that Johnson was a good alternative, and 32% of party members regarded him as the number one candidate.The current Secretary of Defense Ben Wallace is another potential candidate. Although Wallace has said more than once that he does not desire a prime minister, pressure is being put on his own within the Conservative Party and demands that he run for the post. At present, Wallace's responsibilities are quite important in the case of the UK actively participating in extraterritorial security affairs such as the Ukrainian crisis. In addition, Wallace, who has worked in the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and Secretary of State for Security, has not yet shown policy expertise and insights outside the fields of security and defense.
Since the Conservative New Party first settles within a week, this means that the multi-round tug-of-war mechanism like this summer is no longer feasible. The British " Guardian " proposed three possible ways of rapid elections, but whether the hasty process can elect a party leader that can stand the test will only raise more questions.
According to Reuters , after Tras announced his resignation, the Conservative Party's "1922 Committee" Chairman Brady immediately announced the new party's first election procedures. The election will be held next week, and interested candidates must win the nomination of at least 100 Conservative MPs before 2 pm local time on October 24.
Considering that UK parliament has 357 Conservative MPs in , this means that in the first round of voting, at most only 3 campaigners can meet this requirement. If only one person gets sufficient nominations by then, the campaigner will be elected as the new leader of the Conservative Party, thus becoming the new British Prime Minister. If two people meet the nomination threshold, Conservative MPs will conduct a symbolic vote. If the candidate with a small number of votes does not automatically withdraw, all party members will elect new leaders through online voting. Who will eventually fall in the position of the new prime minister will be announced on October 28. There seems to be another possibility of jumping out of the ruling party: if the Conservative Party’s leadership problems are not resolved for a long time, early election is also an option. The “General election” hashtag immediately ranks first among UK social media website interactions after Tras announced his resignation. The British Labor Party and the Scottish National Party , which leads the Scottish government, call for early elections.
Tras's biography "Unexpected" was originally scheduled to be launched on December 8 this year
Of course, it is not yet time to consider whether the Labor Party, which "rely relies on its peers to set off" can improve the status quo. The question raised by the British "New Politician" in July this year is probably worth paying more attention to: After 12 years of rule and five prime ministers in six years, how did the Conservative Party continue to drain its talent pool? Former Prime Ministers who were forced to step down from office after being criticized, whether it was Cameron , Theresa May or Johnson, now they all look much cuter than the people on the table.
The previous Conservative Party leader who became prime minister because of the election and stepped down because of the election can be traced back to Heath in 1974. The six Conservative Prime Ministers, Mrs. Thatcher and Cameron, all came to power through the general election, but stepped down before the new round of general elections. Mayer , Theresa May, Johnson and Trass, all became prime ministers by intra-party voting, and the last three left sadly because of intra-party struggles.
A political party that continues to consume internally and “bad money goes to good” will redeem people by relying on internally and replacing people this time. Will the next Downing Street owner be better than Trass?
(The author is a member of Chinese Translation Association and an international political columnist. Cheng Jing also contributed to this article)
