Newly appointed British Prime Minister Liz Truss resigned her position following an economic plan many described as disastrous.
Truss spent only a month and half in office following her official appointment by Queen Elizabeth II on September 6.
Key points
Her new mini budget plunged the British pound. Though she reversed it and appointed a new chancellor, she faced opposition within her party and the economic market as UK grapples with inflation.
She is now the shortest-serving prime minister in British history.
She will remain on as PM until the Conservative Party selects a new party leader next week.
She served under former PMs Theresa May and Boris Johnson in various capacities. After Johnson resigned, she was the favourite to replace him.
Liz Truss will be the next Prime Minister of Britain after beating Rishi Sunak for the leadership position of the Conservative party.
In her acceptance speech, Truss vowed to press ahead with promised tax cuts and to tackle the rising cost of energy and living.
The big picture
Truss, a close friend of Boris Johnson, is succeeding him after he announced his resignation in July after months of scandals, support for his administration dwindled and many resignations within the party.
Liz competed with Rishi Sunak for the leadership post
Why it matters
Truss was the foreign minister in Johnson’s cabinet and was one of the favorites to win against finance minister Rishi Sunak. She received 81,326 votes while Sunak garnered 60,399 votes.
Truss takes over as Britian faces a high cost of living, industrial unrest, and war in Europe, where Britain has been a strong supporter of Ukraine.
She promised to deliver a great victory for her party in 2024.
What she says
“I will deliver a bold plan to cut taxes and grow our economy. I will deliver on the energy crisis, dealing with people’s energy bills, but also dealing with the long-term issues we have on energy supply.”
What’s next
Johnson will meet with Queen Elizabeth on Tuesday to officially tender his resignation. Truss too will meet with the queen and will be asked by the monarch to form a government.
Johnson said on Twitter, “I know she has the right plan to tackle the cost of living crisis, unite our party and continue the great work of uniting and leveling up our country. Now is the time for all Conservatives to get behind her 100 percent.”
When Buckingham Place announced that Queen Elizabeth11 contracted COVID-19, it startled many since she represents one of the most high profile figures to contract the virus.
The frail 95-year-old is at a higher risk of serious infection because of her age, placing a renewed attention on her health. This comes after two years of effort to prevent her from contracting the contagious infection.
While she is being monitored closely after experiencing “mild cold like symptoms,” Buckingham Palace says she is working on “light duties” at Windsor Castle.
Buckingham Palace says if the queen needs to suspend her official duties, two or more counselors of state can act on her behalf.
Who are these counselors?
These counselors include her husband Prince Philip, Prince Charles, Prince Andrew, Prince William and Prince Harry.
Royal experts say Prince Charles and Prince William are likely to take on some of the queen’s responsibilities.
This does not apply to her deceased husband, Prince Philip who died last year.
Prince Andrew is highly unlikely, since has garnered negative attention to the royal family after he was stripped of public duties following a sexual assault lawsuit, which he settled.
And Prince Harry has since left Britain for California, with reports of bad blood between he and the royal family.
It also comes in her Platinum Jubilee year marking 70 years on the throne.
More than one hundred leaders around the world, including the country’s Prime Minister Philip Davis, gathered in Glasglow, Scotland to fight climate change and address the increase in greenhouse gases which according to experts, are having an adverse effect on small island nations like the Bahamas, Barbados and Jamaica, where hurricanes are intensifying in frequency and strength.
Prime Minister Philip Davis called on developed countries to act now to prevent further damage by climate change.
Leaders like US President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson are agitating for countries to decrease their greenhouse gas emissions. However, one cannot help but notice that these leaders and dignitaries are increasing the usage of these gases and can be accused of not practicing what they preach.
Fox News has dubbed the conference, “gas-guzzling get-together.”
Biden arrived in Glasgow in a 21-vehicle motorcade, including 4 planes and a Marine One helicopter, leaving behind his carbon footprint, which contributes to climate change. His arrival in Scotland follows his stay in Rome where an 85-vehicle motorcade accompanied him while releasing tonnes of fumes in the air.
Yet, he preached from the stage in Glasglow, “…No more time to hang back or sit on the fence or argue among ourselves.”
Biden’s entourage
The British press counted more than 400 private jets that are not climate-friendly which huddled on the runway carrying dignitaries and celebrities to Glasgow. Some used limousines, using tonnes of carbon dioxide.
“Conservative predictions suggest the fleet of private jets arriving for COP26 will blast out 13,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide in total — equivalent to the amount consumed by more than 1,600 Britons in a year,” the British newspaper the Daily Mail reported.
One individual uses only 8 tonnes of carbon dioxide in one year.
The British Royal Family was also present preaching for countries to do more to combat climate change and Queen Elizabeth delivered a speech by video, “Time for words, have moved to a time for action,” she said.
But her family burns 3,810 tonnes per year, according to reports. This indicates that they are a part of the problem.
The world’s richest man, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos was also present advocating that “we must all stand together to protect our world.”
Critics have lambasted him for failing to implement green policies at Amazon, and his journey into space this year, has chalked up a significant amount of fossil fuels.
World leaders have failed to deliver on climate change as the summit has had 25 other summits without solutions to the climate change problem.
They seem not to have the solution to keep the planet from heating up above 1.5 degrees Celsius.
China, was not present at the summit even though it produces the greatest amount of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide.
At the summit, leaders are praised for their lofty statements and rhetoric but if climate change is real, the small island nations will continue to suffer at the hands of richer nations until concrete proposals are presented and world leaders practice what they preach.
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