Reportedly ‘a done deal:’ Rishi Sunak to be prime minister

benfell

(dis)United Kingdom

Prime minister


Fig. 1. President Reagan on the South Lawn during the arrival ceremony of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher of the United Kingdom. U.S. Government photograph, November 16, 1988, via Wikimedia Commons, public domain.

It’s possible you’ve seen an earlier version of the following in an update to the relevant blog post. It’s been updated there as well.

It seems it’s the new chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, who’s turning the knife in Liz Truss’ back. As the Telegraph’s Chris Evans puts it, “In a statement lasting a little over five minutes, the new Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, today scrapped almost all of the mini-Budget tax cuts,”[1] that featured in Truss’ “mini-budget.” But of course she’s the one who put that knife there with a radical supply-side economic program[2] in the first place; he’s only turning it.

The Conservatives were on the brink of open warfare on Saturday [October 15] night as ministers warned of “an assault on the Right” and supporters of Rishi Sunak, the former chancellor, described Ms [Liz] Truss as a “prisoner” of Mr [Jeremy] Hunt. One senior Tory said: “She’s in office, he’s in power. That’s why she’s got to go.” Ben Wallace, the Defence Secretary, was being touted as a potential “unity candidate” to replace Ms Truss.[3]

As appalling as Truss’ ideology is—and it is appalling—we should remember that the British conservatives signed up for it. Until they didn’t.[4] As the Telegraph’s Christopher ‘Chopper’ Hope put it,

Today’s [October 17] extraordinary developments leave [Liz] Truss fatally weakened. Even her supporters will be counting her survival on weeks not months. Trussonomics is over. And so, probably, is Truss herself.

There is a good case now for Truss to step aside and let [Jeremy] Hunt take over at Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday. Right now it feels inaccurate to describe Truss as Prime Minister. Rather it might be better correct to state simply that she resides at 10 Downing St, and leave it at that.[5]

Hope is now reporting that he’s seen a WhatsApp message indicating that “it’s a done deal” that Rishi Sunak will be prime minister, Hunt will continue as chancellor, and Penny Mordaunt will be foreign minister. He notes, however, that all of this is entirely “undemocratic” and argues for bringing back Boris Johnson.[6]

For this to happen, [Boris Johnson] will have to get clear of a privileges committee inquiry into whether he lied to Parliament over partygate, apologise to his activists and MPs and change the way he governs.

It is a tall ask. But it is that or a general election. The Tories are in an invidious position, and it is all their own fault.[7]

I would think calling that a “tall ask” would be putting it mildly. One thing we’ve seen is that Johnson is Johnson. He won’t change.

As Hope observes, blame for this mess really should be spread more widely,[8] which is what British voters might be telling pollsters they intend to do and thus what might have something to do with those bogus methodology results.[9]

But, of course, this really isn’t just the Tories. As I noted earlier, supply-side economics had its day in the U.S. as well;[10] it’s really just a radical form of “trickle down” economics, intrinsic to neoliberalism, which is what happens when capitalist libertarianism comes to power with a notion that political power, but not economic power, over others is a problem,[11] and which is really about an intense disdain for anyone who isn’t rich and powerful.[12] This ideology has absolutely no intellectual legitimacy whatsoever,[13] and this has been known for long enough that those who continue to promulgate it may be considered guilty of, for me, a cardinal sin: intellectual dishonesty.

Nick Gutteridge, “1922 Committee rules: How Tory MPs could oust Liz Truss,” Telegraph, October 13, 2022, https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/10/13/tory-mps-plotting-coronation-new-leader-replace-liz-truss/

Nick Gutteridge, “The runners and riders for PM if Liz Truss is ousted as Tory leader,” Telegraph, October 13, 2022, https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/10/13/runners-riders-pm-liz-truss-ousted-tory-leader/

Eleni Courea and Esther Webber, “Furious Tories conclude that Liz Truss is finished,” Politico, October 14, 2022, https://www.politico.eu/article/liz-truss-prime-minister-uk-conservative-party-finished/

Szu Ping Chan, “Kwasi Kwarteng cuts short Washington trip as axe looms over mini-Budget,” Telegraph, October 14, 2022, https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/10/14/kwasi-kwarteng-cuts-short-washington-trip-axe-looms-mini-budget/

Larry Elliott, “Kwasi Kwarteng dashes home early from US amid tax U-turn chaos,” Guardian, October 14, 2022, https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/oct/14/kwasi-kwarteng-dashes-home-early-from-us-amid-tax-u-turn-chaos

Steve Goldstein, “Kwasi Kwarteng says he has accepted decision to stand aside as chancellor,” MarketWatch, October 14, 2022, https://www.marketwatch.com/story/kwasi-kwarteng-says-he-has-accepted-decision-to-stand-aside-as-chancellor-2022-10-14

Ben Riley-Smith, “Liz Truss clings to power after axing Kwasi Kwarteng,” Telegraph, October 14, 2022, https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/10/14/liz-truss-clings-power-axing-kwasi-kwarteng/

Toby Helm and Michael Savage, “Senior Tories hold talks to discuss ousting Liz Truss to ‘rescue’ party,” Guardian, October 15, 2022, https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/oct/15/tories-talks-ousting-truss-rescue-party

Edward Malnick, Szu Ping Chan, and Will Hazell, “Jeremy Hunt delays 1p tax cut as Bank of England backs Chancellor,” Telegraph, October 15, 2022, https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/10/15/jeremy-hunt-delays-1p-tax-cut-bank-england-backs-chancellor/

Christopher Hope, “I’ve seen a WhatsApp message setting out the future Tory leadership – and it’s brutal,” Telegraph, October 17, 2022, https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/10/17/seen-whatsapp-message-setting-future-tory-leadership-brutality/

  1. [1]Chris Evans to From The Editor list, “Tax calculator: What Hunt’s U-turns will cost you,” Telegraph, October 17, 2022, https://m5.emails.telegraph.co.uk/nl/jsp/m.jsp?c=%406O9x1UyXHi4xosckHEj5m08NPPvQVT%2FXEYxMjotYsTfu1zOksQNQIACRWhdGmTBfOkOJO4Og3HIIC5wAXu56Qw%3D%3D&WT.mc_id=e_DM49431&WT.tsrc=email&etype=Edi_Edi_New_Sub&utmsource=email↩
  2. [2]Daniel Capurro, “Liz Truss: Now unchained, the dutiful servant turned PM is ready to lead from the front,” Telegraph, September 5, 2022, https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/09/05/liz-truss-profile-prime-minister-tory-lib-dem-thatcher/; Pippa Crerar, Peter Walker, and Phillip Inman, “Liz Truss to hold emergency talks with OBR after failing to calm markets,” Guardian, September 29, 2022, https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/sep/29/liz-truss-to-hold-emergency-talks-with-obr-after-failing-to-calm-markets; Greg Ip, “The Return of Inflation Makes Deficits More Dangerous,” Wall Street Journal, September 28, 2022, https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-return-of-inflation-makes-deficits-more-dangerous-11664366538; Heather Stewart, “Stick, twist … or sack Kwasi Kwarteng? The choices facing Liz Truss,” Guardian, September 28, 2022, https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/sep/28/stick-twist-or-sack-kwasi-kwarteng-the-choices-facing-liz-truss; Adam Taylor, “Kwasi Kwarteng and the ideology behind the British pound’s collapse,” Washington Post, September 29, 2022, https://www.washingtonpost.com//world/2022/09/29/kwasi-kwarteng-ideology-behind-british-pounds-collapse/↩
  3. [3]Edward Malnick, Szu Ping Chan, and Will Hazell, “Jeremy Hunt delays 1p tax cut as Bank of England backs Chancellor,” Telegraph, October 15, 2022, https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/10/15/jeremy-hunt-delays-1p-tax-cut-bank-england-backs-chancellor/↩
  4. [4]Aubrey Allegretti and Patrick Butler, “Liz Truss on verge of major U-turn on real-terms benefits cut,” Guardian, October 9, 2022, https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/oct/09/liz-truss-on-verge-of-major-u-turn-on-real-terms-benefits-cut; Szu Ping Chan, “Kwasi Kwarteng cuts short Washington trip as axe looms over mini-Budget,” Telegraph, October 14, 2022, https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/10/14/kwasi-kwarteng-cuts-short-washington-trip-axe-looms-mini-budget/; Eleni Courea and Esther Webber, “Furious Tories conclude that Liz Truss is finished,” Politico, October 14, 2022, https://www.politico.eu/article/liz-truss-prime-minister-uk-conservative-party-finished/; Larry Elliott, “Kwasi Kwarteng dashes home early from US amid tax U-turn chaos,” Guardian, October 14, 2022, https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/oct/14/kwasi-kwarteng-dashes-home-early-from-us-amid-tax-u-turn-chaos; Steve Goldstein, “Kwasi Kwarteng says he has accepted decision to stand aside as chancellor,” MarketWatch, October 14, 2022, https://www.marketwatch.com/story/kwasi-kwarteng-says-he-has-accepted-decision-to-stand-aside-as-chancellor-2022-10-14; Nick Gutteridge, “1922 Committee rules: How Tory MPs could oust Liz Truss,” Telegraph, October 13, 2022, https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/10/13/tory-mps-plotting-coronation-new-leader-replace-liz-truss/; Nick Gutteridge, “The runners and riders for PM if Liz Truss is ousted as Tory leader,” Telegraph, October 13, 2022, https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/10/13/runners-riders-pm-liz-truss-ousted-tory-leader/; Toby Helm and Michael Savage, “Senior Tories hold talks to discuss ousting Liz Truss to ‘rescue’ party,” Guardian, October 15, 2022, https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/oct/15/tories-talks-ousting-truss-rescue-party; Christopher Hope, “I’ve seen a WhatsApp message setting out the future Tory leadership – and it’s brutal,” Telegraph, October 17, 2022, https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/10/17/seen-whatsapp-message-setting-future-tory-leadership-brutality/; Jill Lawless, “UK scraps tax cut for wealthy that sparked market turmoil,” Associated Press, October 3, 2022, https://apnews.com/article/business-financial-markets-liz-truss-0acea0ad013e41524c8be3981654b922; Edward Malnick, Szu Ping Chan, and Will Hazell, “Jeremy Hunt delays 1p tax cut as Bank of England backs Chancellor,” Telegraph, October 15, 2022, https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/10/15/jeremy-hunt-delays-1p-tax-cut-bank-england-backs-chancellor/; Rowena Mason et al., “Truss’s cabinet in open warfare over key policies and coup accusations,” Guardian, October 4, 2022, https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/oct/04/kwasi-kwarteng-fiscal-plan-date-thrown-into-confusion; Andrew Rawnsley, “Johnson was slow-poisoning arsenic for the Conservatives. Liz Truss is instant cyanide,” Guardian, October 9, 2022, https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/oct/09/johnson-was-slow-poisoning-arsenic-for-tories-liz-truss-is-instant-cyanide; Ben Riley-Smith, “Liz Truss clings to power after axing Kwasi Kwarteng,” Telegraph, October 14, 2022, https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/10/14/liz-truss-clings-power-axing-kwasi-kwarteng/; Esther Webber, Hannah Brenton, and Eleni Courea, “Liz Truss panics as markets keep plunging,” Politico, October 11, 2022, https://www.politico.eu/article/britain-economy-liz-truss-mistakes-markets-tax-kwarteng/↩
  5. [5]Christopher ‘Chopper’ Hope to Chopper’s Politics list, Telegraph, October 17, 2022, https://m4.emails.telegraph.co.uk/nl/jsp/m.jsp?c=%40e8fPb1oihmAOcvEa9nH51Aqd2OQMQiVPTyKvnvWeRPNUCJDoSAbUwaAQqqwHiAKsLZMFkQ60uZFSScwCS6YsUA%3D%3D&WT.mc_id=e_DM49379&WT.tsrc=email&etype=Edi_FrB_New&utmsource=email↩
  6. [6]Christopher Hope, “I’ve seen a WhatsApp message setting out the future Tory leadership – and it’s brutal,” Telegraph, October 17, 2022, https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/10/17/seen-whatsapp-message-setting-future-tory-leadership-brutality/↩
  7. [7]Christopher Hope, “I’ve seen a WhatsApp message setting out the future Tory leadership – and it’s brutal,” Telegraph, October 17, 2022, https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/10/17/seen-whatsapp-message-setting-future-tory-leadership-brutality/↩
  8. [8]Christopher Hope, “I’ve seen a WhatsApp message setting out the future Tory leadership – and it’s brutal,” Telegraph, October 17, 2022, https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/10/17/seen-whatsapp-message-setting-future-tory-leadership-brutality/↩
  9. [9]Telegraph, “Labour surges to 33-point poll lead over Tories in wake of market turmoil,” September 30, 2022, https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/09/30/labour-surges-33-point-poll-lead-tories-wake-market-turmoil/↩
  10. [10]David Benfell, “‘O ye of little faith,’ the British are doing supply side economics again,” Not Housebroken, October 14, 2022, https://disunitedstates.org/2022/09/29/o-ye-of-little-faith-the-british-are-doing-supply-side-economics-again/↩
  11. [11]David Benfell, “Conservative Views on Undocumented Migration” (doctoral dissertation, Saybrook, 2016). ProQuest (1765416126).↩
  12. [12]David Benfell, “The capitalist libertarian solution to the COVID-19 pandemic: Kill the poor,” Not Housebroken, August 13, 2020, https://disunitedstates.org/2020/08/13/the-capitalist-libertarian-solution-to-the-covid-19-pandemic-kill-the-poor/; David Benfell, “Hatred for workers,” not Housebroken, October 9, 2022, https://disunitedstates.org/2022/10/09/hatred-for-workers/↩
  13. [13]David Benfell, “A monster that does not bleed and cannot be killed,” Not Housebroken, June 9, 2022, https://disunitedstates.org/2022/06/09/a-monster-that-does-not-bleed-and-cannot-be-killed/↩

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