The freshly elected Prime Minister of the UK, Liz Truss will be assuming charge as a conservative and eurosceptic who has vowed to intensify the economic growth of the country. However, it is to be noted that her posture is currently quite different from what it used to be when she began her political journey, a liberal democrat who believed that Brexit would harm the country badly. Later on, she abandoned that view on Brexit and supported the country’s move to sever the ties with the EU. So, it would be interesting to see whether she does U-turns on other matters as well.
A few of the aspects that swung the pendulum in favour of the 47-year-old conservative party member were her vociferous stand on reducing cess and eliminating bureaucratic “orthodoxy”, especially in the finance ministry where she had a stint previously. It remains to be seen how she proceeds on these two counts.
Thatcher’s Legacy Looms Large
As UK’s third female prime minister, Truss invited instant comparisons with Margaret Thatcher, the first lady PM of the UK. The former foreign secretary’s ride atop a tank with a Russian fur hat was not a mere coincidence. But she dismissed all the talks as unrealistic and irrelevant. Still, it can’t be denied that just like the “Iron lady” she has a tough job of taking the country out of high inflation and a phenomenal problem regarding the cost of living.
What About The Foreign Policy?
Given the Kremlin misadventure, Truss, like her predecessor Boris Johnson, will firmly back Ukraine which is locked in an intense battle with Russia right now. Also, the time is ripe for her to clarify whether Emmanuel Macron, a close ally, is a “friend or foe”.
Truss’s camp has already given several indications that she could invoke article 16, the emergency procedure clause, against the EU in the post-Brexit deal once she becomes the PM. However, looking at the important issues on her platter it seems unlikely that she would initiate a trade war in the imminent future.
On Indo-Pacific Matters?
“Deeper ties between Britain and India will boost security in the Indo-Pacific and globally, and create jobs and opportunities in both countries,” Truss had said while speaking at the India-UK Strategic Futures Forum earlier this year. She stressed the significance of strengthening relations with India considering the way some nations were trampling world order to establish their supremacy, an apparent reference to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. These apart, the inking of a comprehensive free trade agreement (FTA) with India will also be an important priority on the foreign policy agenda for Liz Truss.
So, the final question is, will she get more involved with the Indo-Pacific regions as suggested by Johnson? Let us wait for the time being before coming to a conclusion.
