Does Liz Truss have a moral right to be Prime Minister?

Bring it on. The more the reality of more years of a Tory government finally dawns on those who foisted Johnson on us, and who are facing the barrel scraping choice of Truss, the more likely they are to finally be voted out of office. One sentence summed it up for me as the BBC newsreader reverently announced the gathering and there is Liz Truss with Therese Coffey and Michael Fabricant

Tory party at its finest.

As for the morality of Truss being in office; moral code went years ago when they supported the liar and cheat Johnson, why would the Tory party change now?

I'm inclined to agree with you. I think that you've hit the nail on the head.

She is planning to reduce tax it would seem. She is ignoring the fact that many poor people do not pay any tax so a cut in rates would not help them. I would prefer an increase in the personal allowance combined with perhaps with a lowering of the start of the 40% band.

A reduction in the rate of VAT wouldn't help the poorest. AT on gas and electricity is already at 5%. There is no VAT on food apart from sweets, crisps and soft drinks etc. Children's clothes are not subject to VAT. Therefore a reduction won't help the poorest.

I think it was James Cleverly talking about business today and all the opportunities. He seemed to forget that small businesses have been badly hit so the rhetoric spouted by him isn't going to help either.

?

Jon Sopel

The authority of
@trussliz
in stats:
Fewer than a half of eligible Tory voters backed her
Only one third of Conservative MPs supported her
Wonder what the numbers would have been of the British electorate had been consulted

It’s how it works for goodness sake.

Just because that's how it works doesn't mean it's right. We seriously need a new electoral system to replace FPTP and an end to the new leader of a governing party being chosen by so few unelected people.

Allsorts

It’s how it works for goodness sake.

Yes, we know that is how it works, and all parties have their own ways of electing the leader and potential PM, but the point is that Truss did not have the resounding support of her colleagues. Two thirds, around 200, of Tory MPs did not support her candidacy, and of the 170,000 ish Tory party members, only 57% voted for her. Not exactly a landslide is it?

I'm certainly not keen on Truss as PM but if there had to be an election following a change of leadership of the party in govt, we would still have Boris. He, at least had an election in the same year as became leader of the Cons party. I think we need political parties to be able to boot out their leader without submitting to an election or they wouldn't do it. I prefer Truss to Boris although I think they are both the same "do and say anything" to gain power morality. I'm intrigued that when she was a Lib Dem she wanted to abolish the Monarchy. I hope she enjoys her trip up to Balmoral! fwiw, political pledges get ignored or changed all the time by parties when they feel it is expedient and we do currently live in rapidly changing times.

Allsorts

It’s how it works for goodness sake.

I know that's what people have been saying Allsorts, but I don't think it's true after the last election.

Johnson played it as if they were voting for him. He was the reason both the red wall and the blue wall voters voted Conservative. He stood on a personal mandate (apparently). However, we don't have that system. I don't think anything has changed legally to say we now have a Presidential system. That, however, is what we have been presented with. We have a Party system.

The change of leader is a private party thing. It has now become a change of an almost President who has there own mandate. We have not voted for this.

Just a thought - what if the Queen decided to invite somebody other than Liz Truss to form a government... Bet she's tempted!

A more important question is does Liz Truss have any morals.

Would not be fair to ask, but I do wonder how many GN members voted for her.

I think that the country needs a GE, Truss has no authority. It seems to me that the country is becoming more unstable. On one hand an election would not help but at least whoever is in government would actually be voted in by the public. Well that's the theory. It's almost inevitable but members of the Tory party are already conspiring against her. Look how they treated May. It's going to be an almighty show.

She may have a legal right to be PM but absolutely no moral right.

Most voters are now, and have been for many, many years, absolutely opposed to the Conservative Party.

If she could stood in a general election and win more than 50% of thew votes , then she would have a moral right to be PM.

Not otherwise.

Jackiest

A more important question is does Liz Truss have any morals.

She did have an affair with another Tory MP in 2004/05. Morals? She was married, as was Mark Field. The latter's marriage broke up on 2006.

I would agree that if the mandate changes- regardless if the leader does, it should be a new vote

Dinahmo

Jackiest

A more important question is does Liz Truss have any morals.

She did have an affair with another Tory MP in 2004/05. Morals? She was married, as was Mark Field. The latter's marriage broke up on 2006.

I was not thinking of morals with regard to affairs but morals as having consideration of the welfare of those less fortunate than herself.

Interestingly on the radio this morning it was suggested that they vote a woman in when the country’s in a mess so that if she can’t fix it, it’s because she’s a woman and if she can fix it, they’re safe to vote a man in next time.

Until we have a general election no one else has more right to be PM than Liz Truss..

The Tories won the last GE and she is their new leader. We might not like the way it was done, but the rules were followed. So morals have nothing to do with it IMO.

Until we have a GE who do people think has the 'moral ' right to be PM?

Whether we like LT or not we have to hope she makes the right calls. If she doesn't we are carrying on up that famous creek without a paddle.