Former Conservative Prime Minister Liz Truss lost her parliamentary seat on Friday, capping a tenure marked by a tumultuous 49-day premiership in 2022. Truss’s short-lived term saw mortgage rates spike, the pound drop, and necessitated a central bank intervention to stabilize markets. Despite winning her seat by a margin of over 26,000 votes five years ago, she was ousted by a mere 630 votes in a significant shift of support towards the Labour Party.
Speaking to the BBC, Truss attributed the Conservatives’ loss to unmet policy promises, particularly on low taxes and immigration control. She acknowledged her role in the ruling party’s failures but attributed broader responsibility to the legacy inherited by the Conservative administration in 2010. “During our 14 years in power, unfortunately, we did not do enough to take on the legacy we’d been left,” she said.
Truss was among several high-profile Conservative MPs, including recent cabinet members, who lost their seats. These included:
– Grant Shapps, the Defense Secretary, who has also served as Energy, Business, Home, and Transport Secretary during the Conservatives’ 14-year governance.
– Penny Mordaunt, Leader of the House of Commons and a previous contender for party leadership.
– Jacob Rees-Mogg, a notable supporter of Boris Johnson and former Business Secretary under Truss.
– Robert Buckland, a former Justice Secretary, who described the election results as an “electoral Armageddon” for the Conservative Party.
– Gillian Keegan, the Education Secretary.
– Lucy Frazer, the Culture Secretary.
– Michelle Donelan, who served in various cabinet roles under Johnson, Truss, and Rishi Sunak, most recently as Minister for Science, Innovation, and Technology.
Notably, the Conservatives also lost traditional strongholds, including seats once held by former Prime Ministers Boris Johnson, David Cameron, and Theresa May. The sweeping election results mark a significant realignment in UK politics, reflecting public discontent with the Conservatives’ long-standing governance.
Original Story https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/05/world/europe/liz-truss-conservative-seat-losses.html
Category : Politics and Government,Elections,Conservative Party (Great Britain),Truss, Elizabeth (1975- ),Rees-Mogg, Jacob,Mordaunt, Penny,Great Britain
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