Liz Truss could hardly pick worse circumstances under which to become Britain’s new prime minister, even leaving aside the rain that delayed her inaugural speech. She won a smaller share of her party’s votes than her predecessors, enjoys little public enthusiasm, and inherits potentially the worst economic crisis in a generation. Whether Truss exceeds expectations will depend on her willingness to abandon campaign slogans for pragmatic solutions.
During the contest to replace outgoing prime minister Boris Johnson as Tory party leader, Truss burnished her credentials as a traditional conservative in the mold of Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher. She ruled out “handouts” to tackle the soaring cost of living (before ruling them back in), pledged sweeping tax cuts, and promised to unleash growth with supply-side reforms. She also vowed to increase defense spending, while skirting any serious discussion of how to reform the dangerously overextended National Health Service.
To govern is to choose, though, and as prime minister Truss will need to speak honestly about trade-offs and demonstrate an ability to compromise — especially on the two major issues where she’ll have to make early decisions.
