Not just a matter of Truss: Britons want responsibility from next PM

The lettuce outlasted the prime minister.

After just 44 days in office, Liz Truss resigned as Britain’s prime minister, making her tenure the shortest in the United Kingdom’s history. The Daily Star livestreamed a head of iceberg (in a wig), asking “Will Liz Truss still be prime minister within the 10-day shelf-life of a lettuce?”

This led to many jokes – it’s the “endive times,” “she could not romaine.” But in the real world, no one is laughing at the prospect of a third British prime minister in two months, with residents of the United Kingdom concerned about financial insecurity and an era of instability that seems to have taken root since the Brexit referendum.

Ms. Truss’ chaotic departure from office, coming so soon after the end of Boris Johnson’s scandal-marred time at No. 10 Downing St., has left Britons with feelings of frustration and disconnect from their government. And while the Conservative Party is working at breakneck speed to determine Ms. Truss’ replacement, most Britons seem to want the next government to be realistic and grown-up about the problems the country faces.

“I’d like someone to say, well, here we are, and here’s what I think is the best way out of it,” says Lynda Warren, a retired university professor who lives in Eglwys Fach, Wales. “Someone who has some vision and honesty about how they’re going to deal with the variety of financial problems we’ve got.”

“The government doesn’t serve the people”

Hakan Ozdemir moved to the U.K. from Turkey four years ago. In Turkey, he was a solicitor. In Britain, he works as a Deliveroo driver as he gets ready to retake his exams. Mr. Ozdemir says he left his native country because of the unstable political situation and, while he’s largely happy with his life in the U.K., he feels let down by a failing political system.

“The entire world is unstable and politicians aren’t going to fix it,” he says. “I’m done with wishing for things from the government. I won’t vote in the next election, or perhaps for the rest of my life. The government doesn’t serve the people that voted them in. I used to think they work for us. But I don’t believe that now.”

The overwhelming feeling among the British public is the desire for a leader with maturity to take control of this sinking ship and steer it in the right direction. Dr. Warren would like the next leader of the U.K. to reflect the values of British citizens. She’s not convinced it’s likely, however.

“I don’t think we are, at the end of the day, any worse than any other country. But I do think we’re in one almighty mess worldwide,” she says. “I don’t look forward to the future with a great deal of confidence for it being a happy place.”

Paul Bussey, a film and TV editor from Brighton and Hove, echoes this sentiment. “The resignation of the PM after just six weeks speaks volumes about how the ruling party are functioning because if they can’t elect a leader that stays in power for more than 44 days, how on earth are they going to run a country? The harsh reality is, they’re not.”

He, like many others, believes the country is losing its international standing and any kind of credibility on the world stage. “[This government] can’t even get its own house in order,” he says. “How could we possibly go to another country and tell them, you should do it like this? What right do we have?”

What Mr. Bussey says he would like from the next government is honesty. “I want people’s taxes used intelligently to support those in the community that are vulnerable. Because if you don’t look after them, it’s just an erosion of civilized society. There is proof that when you look after people on the lowest rung of the ladder, society as a whole improves.”

“We need someone to actually be in charge”

After Brexit and the general election of 2019, the country was so tired and scarred, the last thing the public wanted was another election. Yet, in a desire for some last semblance of stability and leadership, there are rising calls for an early general election.

People are noting that if the next election stays on schedule, it raises uncomfortable questions. If the status quo remains, how many more prime ministers does the country cycle through in the remaining two years? Is the entire country to be at the mercy of the psychodrama of an imploding ruling party? Despite the urgency of such issues, many are unconvinced they will have the chance to vote for their next PM any time soon.

“For there to be a general election, the Conservatives would have to vote for it. And turkeys don’t vote for Christmas,” says Dr. Warren.

Max Patterson, a voter in his early 20s from Knebworth, England, says he’s trying to be realistic about the prospects for an election. “Although I personally want a general election, there is a reality that this Christmas, we need someone to actually be in charge of making the decisions that are going to help people, given how many are under threat over energy bills and the rising cost of living,” says Mr. Patterson, who works with an environmental nonprofit.

“For me, it’s about someone coming in who’s genuinely open to ideas, someone who’s calm and collected and can put the markets at ease, put the people at ease, and come out with clear communication about what the government is going to do. The public don’t care who’s in charge, they just want people that are actually going to help them.”

What he’s wary of is the continued revolving door and yet another prime minister coming in with a completely new set of ideas that are ideological. “I think that’s going to be continuing the problem and kicking the can down the road, unfortunately.”