Johnson successor: Two Thatcher fans with heavy heritage

Finance Minister Sunak and Foreign Secretary Truss are vying for the British Conservative leadership. Both are considered cool hardliners on the Johnson line. Your most difficult opponent is in the opposition.

Rishi Sunak can shine in TV cameras and knows how to sell himself: He is applying for prime minister because Great Britain’s potential is limitless and he is the best choice to lead the country into the future, he explained at the opening of a TV debate between the candidates candidates.

Sunak’s curriculum vitae in brief: 42 years old, born in Southampton to parents of Indian origin – his father a doctor, his mother a pharmacist. Education at the elite universities of Oxford and Stanford, then analyst for the investment bank Goldman Sachs. In the House of Commons since 2015, most recently Finance Minister in Boris Johnson’s government. Married to Akshata Murthy, the daughter of an Indian steel magnate – she is among the richest women in the world. Two daughters.

The fact that Sunak’s wife was not officially registered in Great Britain and thus saved millions in taxes was revealed in the spring. A legal procedure, but still in need of explanation. Then Sunak also received a fine as part of the Downing Street Partygate investigation for violating Corona rules.

Smart, cold, Thatcher fan

Sunak is considered smart and cold. As far as tax issues are concerned, he follows the conservative policies of Margaret Thatcher and does not see taxes as a regulator of short-term income redistribution. He has already taken on Prime Minister Boris Johnson over tax issues, and he warns against tax cuts that are too quick, with which his opponent Liz Truss wants to score points.

He explained in the TV debate that he would also like to promise tax cuts, but such a policy would be too expensive: “It promotes inflation, makes credit more expensive, reduces savings. Such a policy without counter-financing is not conservative – that is socialism !”

“Liz-Bot” on Johnson line

But Liz Truss is also a Margaret Thatcher fan. With her clothes and in photo poses she tries again and again to emulate the Iron Lady. Aside from the tax issue, at first glance she is making very similar promises to Rishi Sunak: she wants to unleash the country’s potential, has shown she can deliver as foreign minister and is now ready to take the lead as prime minister.

Newspaper op-eds teased Truss as “Liz-Bot” after the televised party presidential duels, but she comes across as subdued compared to the lithe and eloquent Sunak. Truss’ resume in brief: Age 46, born in Oxford to a nurse and a mathematics professor. Raised in Scotland, studied at Oxford, then worked as an economist. In the House of Commons since 2010, currently Secretary of State in the Johnson government. Married to an accountant, two daughters.

Truss campaigned for remaining in the EU before the Brexit referendum, but now she has developed into a hardliner who, as Foreign Minister, pushed ahead with the initiative to suspend the Northern Ireland Protocol, which is why there is a dispute with the EU. Both Sunak and Truss want to stick to Johnson’s political line on key points.

Labor leads in polls

But for both of them, the time as cabinet members in Johnson’s government is likely to be a difficult legacy. The outgoing prime minister once again defended his political legacy during the last question time in parliament on Wednesday. “We have rebuilt our democracy and restored our independence,” he said, referring to the exit from the EU, which he played a key role in and implemented.

Labor leader Keir Starmer, on the other hand, gave him a scathing testimony. “Inflation has risen again this morning and millions are struggling with the cost of living crisis – and he’s decided to come out of his gold-walled bunker one last time and tell us everything is fine,” Starmer said – referring to a scandal involving expensive wallpaper in Johnson’s official residence.

Labor is in the lead in polls, and the Conservatives recently lost by-elections even in strongholds. At his peak, Johnson had the ability to appeal to both working-class and upper-middle-class people. It doesn’t yet look like one of the two potential successors can hold a candle to him.

Johnson reunion?

But the well-known political pick-me-up Johnson even hinted there might be a return for him one day. As he left Parliament on Wednesday, he ended with a quote from the Terminator film series: “Hasta la vista, baby!” No matter who emerges victorious from the duel to succeed Johnson, it will be difficult to follow in his footsteps.

The members of the Conservatives will now decide who will then be elected party leader and thus also the new prime minister on September 5th. They can get an idea of ​​​​the candidate in campaign appearances called “Hustings” across the country in the coming weeks.

So far, Sunak has always been able to get the most votes in the parliamentary group, but that could change now: the party base ticks differently than the parliamentary group. Polls show that Truss is more popular with conservative party members – on the other hand, there are polls that Sunak is more popular with conservative voters.