Insight and opinion from The National’s editorial leadership
October 25, 2022
Just seven weeks ago, Liz Truss took to the podium to deliver a victory speech to her fellow Conservative party members after they chose her over Rishi Sunak to replace Boris Johnson as Britain’s prime minister. Her standoff with Mr Sunak and the other leadership candidates, she noted, showed “the depth and breadth of talent” in the party.
But after weeks of tumult, Ms Truss’s tenure, like Mr Johnson’s before it, gave rise to exasperation from her own party and incredulity from the wider public. And like Mr Johnson’s, it ended in the prime minister’s resignation. Now, it seems, the Conservative party has little appetite to explore the depth and breadth of its talent pool. In a mea culpa that was as striking as it was swift, party members on Monday anointed Mr Sunak as their new leader after all of rivals were pressured to withdraw their candidacies.
Mr Sunak, a former chancellor of the exchequer and an international banker by trade, will know that the party’s chaos, marred by infighting and mismanagement ever since the resignation of David Cameron six years ago, has created an atmosphere of instability that few developed nations could compete with. And it has infected everything from pensions to international trade deals with harrowing uncertainty.
In a mea culpa that was as striking as it was swift, party members anointed Mr Sunak
The mounting disunity within the Tory ranks, exacerbated by the pains of Brexit and the fatigue of 12 years in power, has reached a crescendo. Mr Sunak was the first of four chancellors of the exchequer Britain has seen this year. He is the third prime minister in less than two months. Mr Johnson’s doctrine was characterised by huge spending commitments and “levelling up”. Ms Truss’s by tax cuts for the rich, little to say about how to fund them. Mr Sunak is expected to take a more moderate, traditionally conservative approach, though this has not yet been fleshed out.
The lack of predictability has investors worried. The City of London, historically a safe haven for the world’s money, was already battered by Brexit. Its bankers have, in recent weeks, watched the swinging value of the pound in silent horror. The Bank of England has had to think creatively to staunch the country’s economic wounds.
But Britain’s neighbours are worried, too. Last week, at an EU summit in Brussels, the French and Irish leaders both expressed their hopes that Britain would find “stability”. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who was then celebrating 12 years in power, said he was looking forward to working with Ms Truss’s replacement: “It will be the fifth one, I believe.”
As “the fifth one”, Mr Sunak will have an even tougher job than the fourth, the third, or even the second, Theresa May, who was responsible for negotiating a Brexit agreement with the EU. That is because each prime minister from Ms May onward has not only failed to sort out the full mess of Brexit, but also managed to add new messes to its wake – in Mr Johnson’s case, an erosion of the public’s trust, and in Ms Truss’s case an erosion of that of the markets. Reversing all of this is not a quick process, but given the waning political lifespan of those who occupy Downing Street, Mr Sunak can ill afford to take his time.
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
The figures behind the event
1) More than 300 in-house cleaning crew
2) 165 staff assigned to sanitise public areas throughout the show
3) 1,000 social distancing stickers
4) 809 hand sanitiser dispensers placed throughout the venue
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
How to volunteer
The UAE volunteers campaign can be reached at www.volunteers.ae , or by calling 800-VOLAE (80086523), or emailing info@volunteers.ae.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Priority access to new homes from participating developers
Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
Flexible payment plans from developers
Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The 12 breakaway clubs
England
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur
Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus
Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
not be younger than 25 years old
not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
How to help
Donate towards food and a flight by transferring money to this registered charity's account.
Account name: Dar Al Ber Society
Account Number: 11 530 734
IBAN: AE 9805 000 000 000 11 530 734
Bank Name: Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank
To ensure that your contribution reaches these people, please send the copy of deposit/transfer receipt to: juhi.khan@daralber.ae
