Politics, Liz Truss | Britons think they have a new Thatcher on their way in: “Steady. Uncompromising. Ideologically. Difficult.”

– I mean she is a fundamentalist on the right wing, actually.

The quote belongs to one of Britain’s best-known union figures, Mick Lynch – in an interview with The Independent newspaper. It joins a number of similar characterizations given to UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, favorite to take over as Tory party leader and new prime minister:

Steadfast. Uncompromising. Ideologically. Difficult.

It is not unlike the attitudes Margaret Thatcher was met with when she became leader of the Conservatives (Tories) in 1975. Now a new female politician in the Conservative Party is being criticized for copying Thatcher’s style.

During several of the debates about the leadership, pictures of Truss compared to Thatcher have gone viral – with accusing her of copying the style down to the smallest detail.

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There was great uproar after Prime Minister Boris Johnson finally had to resign, following what appeared to be an endless series of scandals and criticism. He has said he is willing to resign, but only when a new leader of the Conservative Party has been elected.

And there are only two real candidates left. Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak. An open battle between the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Finance.

But as Truss has established herself as the Conservative candidate, done well in the debates, and received support from important figures, she is the overwhelming favorite to win the leadership election.

The Tories in a new direction

With Johnson and Brexit, there has been a consensus that the Tories have moved in a more conservative direction. Away from the time with David Cameron, who in 2010 advocated being a more moderate and “nice” candidate, who emphasized the health service, and did not find it so easy to be accused of being the calculator party.

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After Brexit has been implemented, and most of the fights are apparently over – however, the country is in other conflicts. The Scots are threatening a referendum on their membership of the union. Scottish Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon believes the English in the south have ignored the Scots in the north.

The previously more liberal Liz Truss has got a good opponent in the Scottish leader.

– She is just looking for attention, Truss said of Sturgeon applause and cheers from Conservatives in Exeter.

It has meant that a heavyweight on the conservative side has given his blessing to Truss.

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Well-known Conservative politician Jacob Rees-Mogg immediately backed Truss in describing the Scottish Prime Minister’s desire for a referendum:

– She (Sturgeon, journ. note) is very often wrong, and she is mostly out complaining, said Rees-Mogg.

The clear statement of support is completely fresh, and gives her a strong hold on the conservative core of the party. With the British Empire long buried, there is strong friction between the Scots and the British. The Conservatives do not seem to think it is relevant to care what Sturgeon and other Scottish politicians think about a referendum on membership of the Union.

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The legacy of Boris

At the same time, it is not the case that the Tories have a negative relationship with Boris Johnson, even if he is now resigning. According to one poll at Daily Mail the majority of members of the Tories believe that it was wrong to pressure the Prime Minister to resign.

He is still the politician who delivered Brexit, has charisma – and is well liked far into the ranks. Thus, they are looking for an heir to the new conservative line.

Another important indicator of Liz Truss’ approval of conservative forces in the party are the strong attacks from the left. The left-leaning magazine The New European made a big splash with a story entitled “39 reasons why Liz Truss will make a terrible Prime Minister”.

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– Dangerous to underestimate

One of the oldest conservative magazines in Britain, The Spectator, has begun to take a closer look at Truss and her views.

Historian Nick Cohen and editor Fraser Nelson, who Nettavisen has spoken to, emphasize that she draws the same political enemies as Ronald Reagan. One of her favorite books is “The Invisible Bridge” by Rick Perlstein. A book that explains how the outsiders on the American right gained power.

In particular, Perlstein has explained Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan, who both came from far outside the circles of the party elite.

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At the same time, political strategists are skeptical. The famous Dominic Cummings, who led the Brexit campaign to the improbable victory, calls her “The closest you’ll get to real cocoa of anyone I’ve met in Parliament.”

The conservative Nick Cohen warns that it is uncertain waters to underestimate Truss, but that he has no faith that she is a solid politician and leader of the country.

The approximately 150,000-200,000 members of the Conservative Party are these days being sent the necessary papers to vote. They have until September 2nd to cast their vote, and the winner will be announced on September 5th.

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