After Boris Johnson announced his exit as the United Kingdom’s prime minister, one question was on everyone (who indulges in international politics) minds. Who’s next?
Johnson didn’t exactly leave on the best terms either with resignation mostly coming from internal party pressure and a mutiny, as per his national address in early July.
Given the bad breakup between him and the Tories, contestation in the party saw a lot of speculation about who would take the baton next.
Initially, it was expected that defence minister Ben Wallace would take on the role. Closer to the voting outcome, Rishi Sunak looked like the competition to beat. However, the Conservative party’s votes are in (roughly 80 000 members) and the new leader of the party is Lizz Truss with a 57.4% margin – deeming her the next Prime Minister of the UK.
A 101 on UK electoral systems:
Like most electoral systems, the UK’s isn’t exactly straightforward. However, just so you have an idea of how it works and aren’t sat wondering how this all came to be, here’s a 101.
The UK’s electoral system uses a First Past The Post (FPTP), which selects MPs to the House of Commons. The House of Commons winning party sees its leader become the Prime Minister, who is also appointed by the monarch.
The 101 on Lizz Truss
Described as a ‘surprise ascent’ Truss (full name Mary Elizabeth Truss) will be the UK’s third female PM. All of the UK’s women Prime Ministers have been Conservatives, despite Truss’s original entrance into politics as a liberal democrat who favoured dissolving the monarchial system the UK has carried with it to the modern day as the BBC records.
She began to make her moves politically after being chosen by David Cameron as part of the ‘A list’, but faced internal party conflict due to personal allegations. Still, she fought for her seat, and was able to keep it – serving as her springboard for various roles in government from junior education minister, to foreign and environment secretary positions and treasury roles as Sky reiterates.
She’s also been described as the ‘Queen of Instagram’, focusing on her social media presence in politics – one of the most powerful places to be and one of the most overlooked in politics.
And, she’s not interested in being compared to the OG Tory Iron Lady, Margaret Thatcher either. Truss once shared that when she had to play Thatcher in a school mock-election, she didn’t even vote for herself.
Of her victory, Truss’s snap verdict victory speech saw her praise Johnson and take on a few of his mannerisms, leaving many to wonder if the UK was in for Johnson era. UK Twitter for one, has wasted no time in questioning Truss. Although she may not have swayed the people with her initial victory speech, her real moment will come outside Downing Street tomorrow.
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Feature Image: @elizabeth.truss.mp/Instagram
