Comment LONDON — In all the usual travesty, Britain on Tuesday swapped a prime minister known for colorful metaphors and a loose relationship with the truth for one who offered unadorned bullet points for dealing with the country’s looming economic crisis. Outgoing Boris Johnson compared himself to a rocket booster that had “done its job” and to the ancient Roman statesman/dictator Cincinnatus, who returned to his farm after saving the republic from invasion. New leader Liz Truss has promised to help Britain “ride out the storm” of inflation, recession and soaring energy prices. He vowed to make the country work and grow again with tax cuts and deregulation. He used the word “we” a lot. But neither Truss nor Johnson mentioned that their Conservative Party has been in power for 12 years years and thus contributed to the country’s dire economic forecast. Johnson failed to note that it was his party’s lawmakers who drove him from office after a series of scandals and lies. And the Trust has failed to recognize that it has been installed by lawmakers and their party members, rather than securing a mandate from wider Britain. Chosen by 0.3 percent of the population. Live Updates: Liz Truss Installed as UK Prime Minister, Replacing Boris Johnson The day was pas de de – as per tradition. Outgoing British Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged the Conservative Party to unite behind his successor, Liz Truss, in his final speech on September 6. (Video: Reuters) Typically, outgoing and incoming prime ministers almost pass each other on the five-minute drive from Downing Street to Buckingham Palace, both in London. However, as Queen Elizabeth II is 96 years old and has limited mobility, she asked the couple to travel to her royal estate of Balmoral and her Scottish country home. Johnson and Truss flew in separate Royal Air Force passenger jets to get to their separate audience with the monarch. Reducing carbon emissions, it turned out, was not the main concern of the day. Officials argued that the dual flights were necessary for safety. Johnson had been serving as caretaker prime minister since July, when an avalanche of resignations from his government forced him to announce he was stepping down. But his meeting with the queen made it official. He bowed and submitted his resignation. In his last speech, Boris Johnson compared himself to Cincinnati. WHERE? It was then Truss’s turn to meet the monarch and ask for permission to form a new government. In photos released by the palace, she appeared to be taking a shallow dip. The move offered a glimpse of the Queen, which has become something of a rarity since health problems have forced her to reduce her workload. Wearing a gray cardigan, a tartan skirt fit for Scotland and her signature pearls, she smiled at Truss and held out her hand to the incoming prime minister. In her other hand, the Queen held a cane, an aid she has been photographed using regularly in recent months. She looked tiny—and a little weak—but more shattered. Truss is the Queen’s 15th Prime Minister. The first was Winston Churchill, born in 1874. Truss was born more than 100 years later — in 1975. Photos: The Queen and her 15 Prime Ministers She becomes Britain’s third female prime minister, after Theresa May and Margaret Thatcher — all Conservatives, by the way. And Britain can now claim membership in the small club of countries that have elected or appointed at least three female heads of state or government. Truss also made history Tuesday by appointing three people of color to so-called “high offices” of state: James Cleverley as secretary of state, Suella Braverman as secretary of the interior and Kwasi Kwarteng as chancellor of the treasury, or chief financial officer. For the first time, there will not be a White man holding one of Britain’s top four political seats power. Truss herself has held senior posts under three prime ministers, including most recently as foreign secretary. Yet many Britons admit they don’t really know Truss, not in the way they knew Johnson — former London mayor, newspaper columnist, Brexit cheerleader, serial pro-regime. Liz Truss’s cabinet could be UK’s first without a white man in top office It’s fair to say that the Truss is a shape shifter. She is a self-proclaimed “plain-talking Yorkshire woman” (who went to Oxford, like many British leaders). Her political journey began on the left, as a Liberal Democrat. Down with the monarchy! she cried in her college days. But today she is firmly Conservative and claims the royal family is “essential” to Britain’s success. Truss also voted for Britain to remain in the European Union before becoming a hard-line Brexiteer. He has made EU officials nervous with threats to override the Northern Ireland provision of the Brexit deal. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen offered Truss pointed congratulations this week: “I look forward to a constructive relationship, fully respecting our agreements.” The United States – a key backer of the Good Friday peace deal – is also wary of Truss’ moves in Northern Ireland. In his congratulatory message, President Biden emphasized the cooperation between the United States and Britain to provide “continued support to Ukraine as it defends itself against Russian aggression.” Profile: What you need to know about Liz Truss Johnson cited Britain’s early support of Ukraine as one of his proudest achievements. The Truce, which has already helped impose sanctions on Russian oligarchs, has promised to be assertive in its dealings with Moscow. Her first conversation as prime minister with a foreign leader was with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov weighed in on Tuesday in his criticism of the new British leader, decrying her “knowingly negative stance on Russia.” Lavrov said he was “defending Britain’s interests without any desire for compromise, which is unlikely to strengthen London’s position on the international stage.” Although Truss has inherited a huge range of challenges, the British have a very clear idea of what they think should top her inbox: the cost of living crisis. People are worried about rising energy bills. The average annual household fuel bill is expected to rise from around $2,300 to $4,100 next month – a jump of almost 80%. And analysts say the average could top $6,900 next year. That is if the government does not intervene. At the same time, inflation is at 10%, a 40-year high, and the Bank of England is predicting a prolonged recession. In her first speech as prime minister on Tuesday afternoon, Truss promised “bold” action. “I will deal practically with the energy crisis caused by Putin’s war,” she said, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin and emphatically blaming Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He was vague about the specifics of how the state would help or how the government would finance any interventions. The Financial Times reported that Truss’ team is finalizing a package that could cost more than $115 billion to deal with the crisis. Truss promised to help “turn Britain into a nation of aspiration, with high-paying jobs, safe roads and where everyone everywhere has the opportunities they deserve”. The new leader said she wanted to focus on “putting Britain back to work”, although unemployment is near historic lows of 3.8% and businesses are struggling to find workers after Brexit. Johnson’s remarks in Downing Street earlier in the day underlined the stylistic differences between the two leaders. The invocation of Cincinnatus, especially, got people talking. Clearly, Johnson, an amateur classicist, was virtue signaling – big time. But was the primary message about political restraint? Or the duty to serve when called? The Roman politician of the 5th century BC. he is said to have been pressed into service to defend Rome from invasion, accepting extraordinary powers but then relinquishing them all after the battle was over. According to some accounts, he later agreed to return to Rome and serve as dictator for a second time. A BBC analyst said the subject of Johnson’s speech was “Why did you get rid of me?” Many believe Johnson will attempt a comeback. Mary Beard, an Oxford classicist, tweeted: “If you’re curious about Boris Johnson’s reference to Cincinnatus in his farewell address – he … saved the state from an invasion then – job done – back to the farm of (‘in his plough’) . He added: “He was also an enemy of the people.” Annabelle Timsit in London and Rachel Pannett in Sydney contributed to this report.
