Liz Truss has resigned as Britain’s prime minister after a disastrous six-week tenure.
The governing Conservative party will hope that Liz Truss’ resignation draws a line under the chaos of her short premiership and brings the UK some economic stability.
Her short time in office was defined by market meltdowns and constant speculation about her long-term future after mini-budget full of unfunded tax cuts caused turmoil in the British economy.
But even when she leaves office, a week from now, her successor will inherit a mess that is unlikely to improve.
The truth is, the Conservative party has been divided for years. It started with Brexit, splitting the party in two, and has got worse ever since.
The factionalism breaks on more lines than can be counted on one hand: From Boris Johnson loyalists to libertarians to anti-immigration Conservatives.
It is hard to see how any single candidate could be accepted by all tribes of the party. It’s even harder to see how they could appoint a Cabinet that wouldn’t split on multiple issues. And it’s almost impossible to imagine how party discipline could be imposed on members of parliament who want so many different things.
The answer to this would traditionally be a to call a general election, and let the voters sort it out. But Conservative MPs don’t want that – they are so far behind in the opinion polls that most accept they would lose.
Under these circumstances, given that calling an election is in the government’s gift, it seems unlikely it will do so.
That means Truss’ successor will have a serious credibility problem. They will be the second PM imposed on the UK by the Conservative party without any say by voters, and arguably lacking much of a mandate.
Things could get worse very fast for the new leader if these issues are not addressed. So, given the next election might be as late as January 2025, it’s entirely possible that this chaotic mess drags on for a couple more years, simply to spare the political blushes of Conservatives.
