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Good Morning,
Britain’s New/Old Leadership
If you live in the UK, you will notice almost nothing new about the Conservative Government of Rishi Sunak. (Pronounced Rish-ee Sue-Nack - in case you listened to President Biden call him Rasheed Sin-ook which wasn’t even close)
Sunak was the Chancellor under former P.M. Boris Johnson and is well known here as someone who steered finances through the pandemic. Sunak appears to have some integrity, unlike his old boss.
What he doesn’t have is a fresh new face. At just 42 years old he’s brittle, uncomfortable to watch, polished to the point of dull, and whoever is stage managing his appearances needs a serious refresher course in how to media coach Sunak, so he appears to have some personality. Granted, injecting personality into a stiff is a hard climb.
It may be cruel of me, but that’s Sunak. He’s like watching paint dry.
But maybe, that’s what the UK needs right now, because the former P.M. Liz Truss who lasted a whole 44 days (seriously) wore a painted on smile and appeared to be a total dunce, announcing tax cuts which threw the markets off a cliff and boosted public debt by billions of dollars.
Can you imagine as she left Downing St. she actually made a speech about her accomplishments. Truss should have been smuggled out the back door in a pickup truck. (Google Truss and lettuce shelf life if your having a bad day)
And UK tax payers will be funding the Truss calamity through higher interest rates and mortgage rates they can’t afford for years to come.
The UK cried out for an election, but the Conservatives knew going to the polls would mean a total thumping and a loss to Labour, so they held an internal quick, and largely undemocratic, party vote and elected Sunak.
His cabinet appointments are all the same old pack of tired faces, and already controversial.
For example, Suella Braverman who was Home Secretary, until Truss fired her for sending emails from her personal account, is a piece of work.
Back to Home Secretary now, she trumpets the anti-immigration card knowing that’s the hardcore Conservative voter, who supported Brexit, because they were frightened by headlines saying Britain was being over run by asylum seekers.
The daughter of Kenyan and Mauritian immigrants, Braverman has said seeing a plane taking asylum seekers to Rwanda by Christmas is her ‘dream’.
Yes, Braverman wants to send them all away on planes to Rwanda! Nuts.
Another of the old guard is Dominic Raab who is returning to the deputy prime minister post he held from September 2021 to September 2022. He was among the chief apologists for Boris Johnsons lockdown party’s, and in interviews never missed a chance at double speak, on questions over the sordid affair.
Another of the old pro BREXIT team is Michael Gove who has now held six different cabinet posts since 2010.
Now obviously, to unite his divided party Sunak has to draw on different corners of the Conservatives while he shores up the markets and tries to send messages of stability.
There are a few solid people like Jeremy Hunt - Chancellor, and Ben Wallace - defence.
All in all its been a rollercoaster couple of weeks in British politics delivering pretty much the same as before. That is to say the Conservatives, who get one more chance before everyone will say enough is enough.
Dana Lewis