London: Some members of the governing Conservative Party backed Foreign Secretary Lizzo truss When the leadership contest began this month, there is now a sense of urgency that she will become Britain’s next prime minister.
“It’s his defeat” is a common refrain among party members, who in the coming weeks will cast their vote to appoint the new Conservative leader and successor to Boris. johnson,
But for many members, the driving force behind their support for the truss is less about them and more about their rival, the former finance minister. Rishi SunkiWho, many said, could not be handed the keys to Number 10 Downing Street after “knife” Johnson.
After Johnson was forced to announce his resignation on July 7 amid waves of scandal, party lawmakers reduced the competition from 11 candidates to a truce and cynicism – and now to decide whether it is over for membership. Done, the result will be declared on September. 5.
With Britain facing a potential recession, rising inflation and the heat of strike action, most in the party want their next leader to bring stability, tired of the chaos generated by the Johnson administration and a bitter leadership competition.
Opinion polls among members put Truss, 47, far ahead of Sunak, 42. Truss held a 24 point lead over Sunak last week, according to YouGov, even though she was trailing Sunak among lawmakers’ votes. But having a less enthusiastic support base in the party could leave it vulnerable if it fails to stabilize the ship quickly.
“Obviously I want liz truss If it’s going to be one of the two,” said Paul Donaghy, a Conservative councilor for the Washington South Ward in the northern English city of Sunderland, which became synonymous with Brexit When it was the first region to fall in favor of “leaving” in the results of the 2016 referendum on EU membership.
“She was one of the only people who didn’t stick a knife into Boris and I think that’s true for a lot of people,” Donaghy said.
Donaghy’s opinion clashes with many party members, some of whom have joined the party because of Johnson and are skeptical of Sunak, whose resignation as chancellor on 5 July prompted Conservative MPs against the prime minister. helped trigger a widespread rebellion.
“So I think it’s an anti-Sage vote which is a shame,” said Antony Mullen, a Conservative councilor for Barnes ward in Sunderland.
“I think it’s sad that it’s inevitable that it will be her because she’s supposed to be the one with the knife because I think she was right and should have done that earlier.”
Truss and Sunak have traded barbs especially on the timing of any tax cuts, with Sunak describing Truss’s plans for immediate cuts as “cozy fairy tales,” though he did this week on rising energy bills. Made change by offering relief.
Truss in turn called Sunak, a longtime party member and former Goldman Sachs banker, a “socialist” whose plan would lead Britain into recession.
Who are the Orthodox?
In the midst of a third Conservative Party leadership race in six years, it is unclear how many people are members of the party, but in 2021 there were around 200,000 and that number may have fallen since then, with local councilors saying that many are left at the so-called partygate. – Events were held at Johnson’s Downing Street office that broke COVID-19 rules.
According to 2020 research from London’s Queen Mary University and Sussex University Party Members Project, party membership tends to be older, male, Southern English and Brexit-backed, meaning that leadership elections tend to be more of a right-wing agenda than the rest. The side may slant further. Country.
Unsurprisingly, more young adults, often men, from northern England are getting involved.
The system of electing a new leader has been criticized by the opposition Labor Party, which argues that voters should decide the prime minister, and also by some Conservative members, who feel they should be offered more options. needed.
“I will not vote for any of them,” said John Strafford, the president of the Conservative Democracy campaign.
“The members chose the leader and they should have decided whether they were sacked. It should not have been left to the MPs and the members were not given the choice of candidates.”
Sean Donovan-Smith, president of the South West Surrey Conservative Association, agreed, saying: “I think there is a lot of dissatisfaction with the last two at the moment.”
Many members will hope that the elections up and down the country can help them make up their mind.
The craze’s latest promise to temporarily end taxes on household energy bills did little to entice members in Sunderland, with councilors saying any help should be better targeted at low-income households.
Some are being won by Truss, who will be the country’s third female prime minister after Margaret Thatcher and Theresa May. He has served in cabinet in a variety of roles over the past eight years and he says he has minimal experience and should be able to make tough decisions to prop up the UK economy through tough times.
“Conservative women make good leaders, strong leaders, tough leaders and wise leaders,” said Pam Mann, a councilor for St. Anne’s Ward in Sunderland.
“That’s what we need, we need it now, we need stability, we need control and we need a solid direction and bright ideas.”
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