photo source, Archyde.com
British Prime Minister Liz Truss announced on the 20th (local time) that he would step down as prime minister following a few weeks in office.
He also said he hoped that a new prime minister would be elected within a week, and that he would hold his position until then.
The resignation poses a new and major crisis for British politics, raising questions regarding how effectively government can function in this politically unstable situation.
recent chaotic situation
Prime Minister Truss decisively resigned following the economic crisis caused by economic policy missteps and the resulting loss of credibility within the Conservative Party.
Prime Minister Truss was elected leader of the ruling Conservative Party, promising to drive economic growth in the UK through massive tax cuts.
However, the global market reacted greatly when the government announced the policy without even giving a proper explanation on how to finance the tax cut policy.
As a result, the pound depreciated and bond yields soared. The Bank of England (BOE) was forced to make an emergency purchase of billions of pounds to prevent bankruptcy of its pension funds.
photo source, Simon Walker / HM Treasury
Not only did Treasury Secretary Kwasi Kwateng resign within weeks of taking office, taking responsibility for the tax cuts, but five days later, British Interior Minister Suela Braiberman resigned.
In the end, Finance Minister Kwasi Kwateng took responsibility and resigned within a few weeks of taking office. Five days later, British Interior Minister Suela Braiberman resigned.
Meanwhile, Truss took over as Prime Minister following former Prime Minister Boris Johnson was almost forced to resign from within the Conservative Party.
Johnson, who lost his credibility, remained “interim” for several weeks, withholding important policy steps until the Conservatives elected a new prime minister.
Prime Minister Truss, who was thus elected as the next prime minister, was expected to show new political leadership by solving the inflation crisis.
What is the impact of the political crisis on the British people?
Meanwhile, while British politics is in turmoil with the resignation of the prime minister, public services such as the National Health Service (NHS) are functioning every day.
James Freeman, an associate professor of modern British politics at the University of Bristol in England, explained, “There are civil servant positions in the UK that are not appointed and filled by politicians, and they perform many government functions themselves.”
“But when it comes to critical issues that are difficult for public officials to make on their own, there must be political decisions. Politicians have to make decisions.”
Meanwhile, former Home Secretary Senator Bob Kirslake said the UK is in a state of chaos due to the current political crisis.
“Unfortunately,[the political crisis]has been triggered by the current situation in the face of unprecedented challenges,” said Senator Kirslake. In this situation,” he explained.
“These crises are often a testament to the ability of governments to properly assess their capabilities, but the UK government is not functioning properly at this time.”
Meanwhile, Gil Lutter, a senior research fellow at the British Institute for Government Research, said:
“If high-level officials resign too often, it will be difficult for policies to continue in a continuum,” said Rutter, who advised that “a unified cabinet should be prepared that can give public officials the right direction.”
Can the UK government get back to normal?
Meanwhile, some Conservative MPs point out that the current situation of the British government is exceptionally difficult, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ukraine war and global inflation.
For example, former Conservative MP Simon Hohr said, “The British government wants to function properly, but it is struggling with multiple misfortunes and overlapping incidents and accidents.”
But Labor leader Kier Starmer has been lashing out at Britain, saying the UK “can’t let the Conservatives experiment with the prime ministership.”
Starmer, the leader of the party, called for a general election to be held “to give the people a say in this very chaotic situation.”
