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Britain on the brink.  Who is cleaning up Boris Johnson’s towels?

Britain on the brink. Who is cleaning up Boris Johnson’s towels?

He was to go after three years: as polarizing a British prime minister as few before Boris Johnson.

dpa

Long ago, he fantasized about ruling until the 2030s. But now Boris Johnson’s term is coming to an end. Outgoing British PM leaves a mess behind.

Finally there Boris Johnson Everything again. The outgoing Prime Minister travels like a wisp through Great Britain. Here it announces a nuclear power plant, there it praises itself for expanding its fiber optic network. His supporters, who are still numerous, speak of a triumphant journey. His opponents complain that tax dollars are being wasted. Days before leaving Downing Street, the blonde-haired populist is still polarizing. On Monday, the country will find out who will succeed Johnson – Foreign Secretary Liz Truss is considered the favorite, with former Finance Minister Rishi Sunak an outsider.

But whoever leads the government in the future, he or she will not have to manage Johnson’s balancing act between proximity and distance from day one. It’s about cleaning up the mess the 58-year-old is leaving behind in British politics. Decency and morality fell into the abyss during the Johnson era.

“Lack of trust in the prime minister’s office is one of the biggest problems facing the next incumbent,” said Guardian reporter Pippa Greer, whose investigation into the Partigate affair ultimately led to Johnson’s downfall.

Plus, there are plenty of construction sites: Favorite Truss has yet to make clear what she intends to do about skyrocketing electricity and gas prices, which are likely to push millions of Britons into energy poverty. The strike is going on in various sectors. The NHS health service has been under huge pressure since the pandemic, with millions waiting for operations and treatments. Nursing and social care reform is urgently needed. Despite Johnson’s constant insistence that Brexit is anything but “done”. Finally, London is a key ally of Ukraine.

August 31, 2022, Great Britain, London: Candidates to succeed Prime Minister Johnson Rishi Sunak (L) and Liz Truss stand next to each other during an election campaign event at Wembley Arena.  (To DPA Carr
Rishi Sunak (L) and Liz Truss, candidates running to succeed Prime Minister Johnson, at a campaign event at Wembley Arena.

Stephen Rousseau/PA Wire/dpa

Trudeau convinces party base – but British too?

“There are reasonable doubts whether the Conservative Party or the successful candidate will be able to enjoy a ‘honeymoon’,” Mark Garnett, author of several books on British politics, told the German Press Agency. Because it’s unclear whether Truss — or at least Sunak — can trust their party for the biggest challenges. The Tories are pragmatic and can pull themselves together quickly, says Matthew Flinders, a political scientist at the University of Sheffield. But others are more skeptical.

Garnett says the divisions within the party have been exposed. Former Tory MP Robert Hayward told the PA news agency that the winner, Truss, is starting at a major disadvantage: She will by no means have the majority of her team behind her. Michael Gove, an influential former minister, recently said he did not need a vote on Truss’s budget plans. The election campaign, in which fierce personal attacks, especially early on, hit the party hard.

Although Truss had apparently won over the party base, that did not mean he was accepted by the rest of the British public. “Ironically, the reasons that made Liz Truss the clear favorite in the finals from the start are the same reasons she has trouble winning the approval of non-conservatives,” says expert Garnett. “He appeals directly to nationalist, neoliberal conservatives who may be the majority in the party but do not reflect the views of the average voter.”

Johnson MP

And, unlike Sunak, Truss didn’t distance himself from Johnson. According to analysts, this helps the secretary of state with approval of a Johnson-inspired platform. Political scientist Flinders said the outgoing prime minister’s closest confidantes, such as Culture Minister Nadine Dorries or Secretary of State Jacob Rees-Mogg, could serve as a “bridge to Boris” in the cabinet.

Johnson’s decision should not mark his political decision. The former London Mayor and Foreign Secretary will retain his mandate in Parliament. From the back seat, political scientist Flinders predicts that he can run the government with his sense of timing. Jonathan Marland, Johnson’s long-time friend, told the BBC he hoped the farewell would only be temporary. There is a “clear possibility” Johnson could return, Marland said.

Expert Garnett also expects this. “He loves applause and the circumstances in which he left are disgraceful.” Every problem that Johnson’s successors encounter calls out to him loudly. Especially since many Tories still see Johnson as a sure shot – only he can win the next general election, which is due to take place in January 2025 at the latest.

Others judge harshly. “The narcissist from Number 10” failed, wrote “Financial Times” editor Henry Manns. But you probably already knew that. “Making Johnson prime minister is like serving jelly as the main course at a state dinner. After guests ate it, the kitchen revealed that E.coli bacteria had exceeded guidelines.”

Benedict von Imhoff, dba