Carson Bonner, Campus Carrier deputy news editor
Over the last several months, the United Kingdom has experienced unprecedented political turnover. In the span of 105 days, former Prime Minister Boris Johnson resigned following other cabinet resignations, King Charles ascended the throne following Queen Elizabeth’s death, and Liz Truss was appointed as the prime minister then resigned after a term of only 50 days. As of Oct. 25, Rishi Sunak became prime minister, making him the first prime minister of color, as well as the prime minister with the highest net worth, almost twice that of King Charles.
When Johnson resigned, it was amid a cloud of scandal and discontentment. He was believed to have a close relationship with party donors, he threw parties that violated COVID-19 protocol and he was allegedly aware of sexual misconduct allegations against a lawmaker that he then promoted. Following the last event, his top two cabinet members resigned and, Johnson resigned soon after experiencing pressure and mistrust from the public.
“Boris Johnson did a lot wrong, especially when it came to the public eye,” Political Science Professor John Hickman said. “People didn’t really have a problem with his governmental policies, but more just his actions outside of politics. For example, there would be people who couldn’t see their family members who were dying of COVID because of policies Johnson put in place, all the while he is throwing drunken parties and defying his own laws. Liz Truss was different in that her public mistrust was from her governmental action, not so much what Johnson did.”
Truss’ term as prime minister was fraught with doubt from fellow politicians of her ability to carry out promises she made before she was selected for the position. She had outlined a “mini budget” that was set to stabilize the economy, but had the opposite effect, causing the currency value to hit a record-low value, leading to dramatic doubt from the public and from her own conservative party.
“With situations like this, when a prime minister no longer even has support from their own party, they have limited options,” History Professor Matthew Stanard said. “Once they have lost party support, any legislation they’re hoping to vote on likely won’t go the way they want, so there’s no real power in their position. Both Johnson and Truss experienced this and felt there was nothing to do but resign.”
According to Stanard, Prime Minister Sunak is in an interesting position. Being a Conservative prime minister and an individual with a higher net worth than King Charles, he will appeal heavily to the Conservative Britons, who usually are part of the upper class. However, the upper class may be the primary demographic he appeals to, especially given that Johnson and Truss were both of the Conservative party as well. The fact that Prime Minister Sunak was not elected, but appointed by the Conservative parliament also adds to public uncertainty.
“Having such a dramatically wealthy prime minister will be interesting that’s for sure,” Stanard said. “While having the first prime minister of color is a big deal and it’s something that will obviously be noted, having someone so blatantly wealthy seems to be the bigger focus as of right now. It may have the effect of keeping him separated from the general population.”
As Britain continues to feel the effects of Brexit, Prime Minister Sunak has made it clear that he is a supporter of the policy. He enthusiastically backed Brexit while Johnson was still prime minister and has pledged to enact policy that will be beneficial economically. Although some believe he still has some loyalties to the EU, as said by Reuters, he has maintained the opinion that Brexit will be the most economically beneficial action Britain can take. According to Reuters, he has promoted higher public spending while also promising to cut waste. He plans to cut income taxes once inflation has been reduced and is hoping to reduce the tax from 20% to 16% by the year 2029.
“Like many other Brexit supporters, he emphasizes the point that Britain contributed so much financially to the EU with very little benefit,” Hickman said. “They were one of the highest contributing countries in the EU, yet they didn’t see much of that coming back to them. Brexit was a justifiable move, but now they are struggling economically, especially in the wake of Truss’ mini budget.”
His other policies include a fracking ban, a rise in business taxes and reducing immigration, a polciy which has been heavily questioned given that he himself is from an immigrant family. According to British newspaper First Post, Prime Minister Sunak himself is a strong supporter of the Conservative party’s anti-immigration policy. His goal is to place regulations on immigration that attract the higher-skilled workers who would be more beneficial to the country’s struggling economy rather than the lower-skilled workers that have been surging to England.
“There definitely has been some scrutiny when the topic of Sunak’s immigration policy comes up,” Stanard said. “Sunak is the son of immigrants, and also a very wealthy man, so the idea of an upper class son of immigrant parents limiting other immigrants just doesn’t sit well with people. His wealth is a big factor in that; it really overshadows a lot of his policy ideas.”
According to Hickman, it remains to be seen whether or not Prime Minister Sunak will be able to perform the economic restoration that he has claimed to be prepared for.
“At this point, it’s just a waiting game for the Britons,” Hickman said. “They’ve needed a change and hopefully for them, Sunak can bring the changes they want.”