Former Prime Minister Liz Truss and Reform UK leader Richard Tice have challenged the Conservative Party’s economic direction, alleging a departure from conservative principles and signalling a potential realignment in British politics. Here’s the full story.
Book Tour
Liz Truss has a new book, Ten Years To Save The West, in which she bemoans at length about all the people, situations, and things that brought down her government.
Conspiratorial Turn
Since the book launch, Truss has taken a turn for the conspiratorial, blaming the majority of the failings of her mercifully short time in government on entities as ethereal as the “deep state,” “the establishment”, and, most recently, the “Blairite consensus” she claims is at the heart of government.
Repeated Refusal
In a recent interview with Sky News, Truss repeatedly refused to apologise for the market turmoil her mini-budget unleashed.
Invisible Trends
Instead, she blamed the economic crash that followed its announcement on global trends more generally, despite the fact that no other countries experienced similar economic catastrophes at the same time.
Doubled Down
Truss then doubled down, suggesting that the only reason her doomed economic policies had failed was “deep resistance within the establishment” to her policy goals.
Boogeyman Blair
Surprisingly, she blamed many of her problems on the Conservatives’ favourite boogeyman, former Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair.
“Isn’t True”
Speaking to Sky News, Truss stated, “There has been a narrative promoted in Britain about what happened in autumn 2022 that simply isn’t true, and the Labour Party have ridden on the back of that narrative.”
“Blairite Consensus”
She continued, “Personal attacks on me are from people who don’t want to talk about the fundamental failings of what is essentially a Blairite consensus. Those people who indulge in personal attacks on me are people who don’t want to face the truth about the problems in our country.”
Rival Policies
However, Truss did not explain how Tony Blair, who has been out of power in the UK for 17 years, was able to dismantle her economic plans so effectively or why the Conservative and Conservative-led governments of the past 15 years would hold to the policy program of their bitter rival.
Blame the Banks
Instead of offering an explanation, Truss pivoted to attacking yet another target she sees as responsible for her downfall: the Bank of England Governor, Andrew Bailey. She blamed his response to the market chaos that followed her mini-budget.
“Real Resistance”
Truss stated, “I faced real resistance and actions by the Bank of England that undermined my policy and created the problems in the markets.”
Never Met
Incredibly, despite having blamed his response to her budgetary policy for the collapse of her tenure as Prime Minister, Truss then admitted that she had never had a formal or informal meeting with the Governor during her tenure.
“Wanted to Meet Him”
Shifting blame again, Truss stated, “I actually had a meeting set up – I wanted to meet him,” she said. “But I was advised that would be a bad idea. And perhaps I shouldn’t have taken that advice.”
Should Have, Would Have
She continued, “But that advice came from the cabinet secretary and what I didn’t want to do is further exacerbate the [market] problems. In retrospect, yes, I probably should have spoken directly to the Governor of the Bank of England at the time.”
Reform UK
Despite Truss beginning to sound like someone whose grip on reality is tenuous at best, Reform UK leader Richard Tice welcomed her comments.
Conservative “Socialists”
Speaking to the same programme on Sky News, Tice lambasted Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for not being a “real conservative” and, incredibly, said that the Conservative party is “socialist.”
“Bankrupt” Britain
Tice also suggested that thanks to Sunak’s policies as Prime Minister, the UK was “heading for bankruptcy.”
Taxes and Spending
Tice said of Sunak, “He’s raised taxes, he’s raised spending, and growth has declined. It’s a catastrophe and therefore it’s a catastrophe for Britain.”
Rightward Realignment
He continued, “There’s going to be a realignment of the right because the Conservative Party is not conservative, it’s a party of social democrats and in some sense socialists.”
“Yes”
The interviewer then asked Sunak if he genuinely believed that Rishi Sunak, Conservative Prime Minister and Conservative party leader, was a socialist, to which Tice replied, “Yes, he is. He’s raised taxes, he’s raised government spending, he’s led to lower growth.”
“Not Conservativism”
He continued, “That’s not Conservatism, that is a form of socialism. And he is a ‘con-socialist’ – I invented this word, I’m very proud of it, it defines what he is.”
“Wait and See”
In response to speculation about Truss’s future political affiliations, Tice neither confirmed nor denied the possibility of her joining Reform UK, saying simply, “Let’s wait and see what happens.”
Deepening Divisions
Liz Truss’s critique of the Conservatives, echoed by Reform UK, shows the country’s profound and deepening divisions on the right wing of politics.
Uncertain Future
With Truss courting American conservatives with her new book and Reform UK taking firm aim at the right flank of the Conservatives, the effect that the pairing will have on the future of Conservatism and what that might mean for the country more generally remains to be seen.
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The post Liz Truss Blames ‘Blairite Consensus’ for Her Failure As PM first appeared on Edge Media.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Sean Aidan Calderbank.
Grant Gallacher is a seasoned writer with expertise in politics and impactful daily news. His work, deeply rooted in addressing issues that resonate with a wide audience, showcases an unwavering commitment to bringing forth the stories that matter. He is also known for satirical writing and stand up comedy.