THE OBSERVER: On the brink: how Liz Truss rose to claim the Conservative crown

Press/Media: Expert comment

Period4 Sept 2022

Media contributions

1

Media contributions

  • TitleOn the brink: how Liz Truss rose to claim the Conservative crown
    Media name/outletThe Observer
    Media typeWeb
    Country/TerritoryUnited Kingdom
    Date4/09/22
    DescriptionRob Ford, professor of politics at Manchester University, believes Truss succeeded by aligning herself more closely than Sunak with the interests and instincts of the rightwing Tory membership.

    “At the start of the leadership contest, my gut instinct was that whichever candidate emerged from the MPs’ multiple ballots as the standard bearer of the right would immediately be favourite to win with the membership. Liz Truss ended up being that candidate, and she has been strong favourite from the moment the member-focused campaign began.”

    This and her loyalty to Johnson, were key, said Ford. “A substantial – probably decisive – portion of the Conservative membership never broke faith with Johnson. The decision not to quit has given Truss a decisive advantage in a contest with Rishi Sunak, who was the most senior figure to resign from Johnson’s government. Winning back Boris fans was always going to be an uphill struggle for Sunak, whose early departure and scathing criticism did much to trigger his downfall. All Truss has had to do is appear more loyal to her predecessor than his backstabber-in-chief.”
    URLhttps://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/sep/04/on-the-brink-how-liz-truss-rose-to-claim-the-conservative-crown
    PersonsRobert Ford

Keywords

  • UK politics
  • Conservative Party
  • Liz Truss