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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Jonathan Freedland

Liz Truss’s worst nightmare is the lingering shadow of her predecessor

Liz Truss and Boris Johnson composite
Not the end: new prime minister, Liz Truss, had the figure of Boris Johnson looming large behind her on the the day she took office. Composite: Guardian Design/Getty Images/AP

He exited in sunshine, she entered after a heavy downpour. And those optics will have suited Boris Johnson just fine.

Normally, when there is a transfer of power, all eyes are on the new, with scarcely a backward glance toward the old. The wattage of the outgoing leader is instantly dimmed, their words no longer weighed or even heard. They are yesterday and everyone wants to think about tomorrow.

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