Can Prime Minister Liz Truss Lead?

Liz Truss will become the prime minister of the United Kingdom. While it would be tempting to draw implied parallels with the indomitable Margaret Thatcher, but the country that Ms Truss will lead is a vastly different one. The late Thatcher, for one, the daughter of a grocer, demonstrated in word and deed, that the UK was a land of opportunity- a theme that has, over time diminished for many in the country. Second, the context- that of political economy- is different. Thatcher’s incubus was the economic philosophy of ‘neo-liberalism’ wherein the late leader, among other things, aimed (successfully) to trim the state. But Thatcher’s era was also one where the UK was undergoing profound structural change(s) that did not seem apparent then.

One of these was immigration and immigrant flows into the country, the nature and form of which have changed the complexion of the country. One ‘after effect’ of this development is actually that a brown skinned Indian origin person (Rishi Sunak) could not only think of becoming PM of the UK but also pose a challenge to what was once a ‘white establishment’ governed country. But this fact obscures both a latent and overt trend - one that formed the foundational premise of Brexit- that of a country that is deeply polarized and somewhat at odds with itself. (This includes the yawning gap between Scottish nationalism and the Unionists plus the diminishing returns of the Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland)

This is the broad context and set of conditions that Ms Truss will inherit. Overlaid by inflation of the nature of decadal highs that has made cost of living exorbitant for ‘ordinary’ Britons, the challenges could not be more fraught and complex for the new prime minister.

Can, the question is, Ms. Truss govern?

Of course, she can. Governing, in the pedestrian sense, is easy. But the UK needs more than governance. Shorn of accretions and rhetoric, Ms Truss needs to, or has to reclaim the country for Britons, in the broadest possible sense. (The term Britons is employed here to include all that form the country’s firmament). How can this be rendered possible? Ms Truss, for starters has to tread a delicate line: she has to foster a sense of belongingness in the country while at the same time disavowing narrow, exclusive nationalism. This is not easy but is doable -something that can be done by broadening the idea and concept of belongingness, fostering non exclusionary pride in the nation. But it would mean broadening the party tent, a possibility that would call for bold and beautiful leadership.

While it is an iffy proposition given the nature of the Conservative Party, other challenges would call for equally bold leadership. One of these is the UK’s standing in the world. It would appear that post-colonial Britain is an addled country. Its ‘island mentality’ has not gone away. Notwithstanding its past(right or wrong), the country is actually inward looking. In prosaic terms, it is neither here nor there. Its foreign and defense policy is latched to that of the United States under the rubric of the ‘special relationship’. The author does not suggest that the UK disavow the special relationship but it may be prudent for the country to have some ‘strategic autonomy’ under the broad umbrella of the relationship. Next, even though it is a ‘bridge too far’ but the UK must repair and calibrate its relationship with the European Union. The why of it is obvious but not so the how of it. This is another area where Ms Truss must demonstrate leadership.

At this point in time, the UK does not have soft power. (Obiter Dictum, Tony Blair’s ‘Cool Britannica’ branding was not only a vulgar and lame rendition of soft power but as shallow as Blair himself). The country needs to think deep and introspect about itself and its position within and without. The world has moved on and so must the UK. In terms of hard power, the UK is not a laggard but surely, its defense and security posture need a rethink and maybe even an overhaul. Here Ms Truss has experience but typically bureaucracies -be these the civil services or the defense establishments all over the world- are defined by inertia. Innovation even of the staid variety is resisted. Again, deft leadership is called for here.

All in all, the distilled essence of this essay is that the UK adrift as it is stands at a cross roads. The country needs able, bold and beautiful leadership; not mere governance or mere economic antidotes. Its challenges are too profound and fraught to be reduced to these. Ms Truss has not ably only won the race for prime minister-ship in the UK but demonstrated verve and staying power. This is just the beginning. A country awaiting reclamation becomes. Ms Truss for the sake of her country must rise to the occasion and redeem the United Kingdom.

(Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

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