Common Traits Found Between Truss and Trump in the UK

The Guardian columnist Simon Jenkins notes that UK Prime Minister Liz Truss has begun her fight against dissent within the government cabinet. The author argues that Truss has chosen to rid herself of experienced civil servants who differ from her views. The Prime Minister dismissed economist Tom Scholar and National Security Adviser Stephen Lovegrove. During her campaign, Truss vowed to combat 'Treasury orthodoxy,' and Jenkins believes Scholar's 'disrespectful' removal was a display of this slogan.

‘There is reason to suspect that Truss dismissed those officials not because they were wrong, but out of fear that they might be right. Scholar's replacement will inevitably damage Truss’s reputation, much like the goat of Downing Street. She has never served a single idea throughout her life. Now, she claims that we shouldn’t raise taxes, that we should strive for growth, spend on defense, and ‘defeat Russia’,’ Jenkins laments.

Throughout the article, the journalist does not shy away from comparisons with Margaret Thatcher, who, according to her contemporaries' memories, listened to opposing opinions during critical moments. On the other hand, Truss lacks confidence in her policies as she 'suppresses dissent.'

‘Instead of discussing the message, Truss kills the messenger. The same, we presume, is happening with Lovegrove. This is a Trump-like government. Both Johnson and Truss have shown that they cannot tolerate having colleagues in their team who may disagree with them,’ Jenkins concludes.

On Monday, the leader of the Conservative Party was elected, with Foreign Secretary Truss assuming the role. The former Foreign Secretary garnered 81,300 votes, surpassing former Chancellor Rishi Sunak, who received 60,400 votes. A YouGov poll indicated that half of Britons are dissatisfied with Liz Truss becoming the new Prime Minister, with only 4% of respondents expressing strong approval of her election.