Clinging on to power in the middle of an economic and political maelstrom, Liz Truss faces her most demanding Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday.
A measure of whether Britain’s prime minister remains in office for at least this week will be determined by the support she receives from Conservative MPs.
The 45-minute debate, where friend and foe hold the prime minister to account, will probably determine Ms Truss’s immediate future.
With elections to the 1922 Committee completed late on Tuesday night, the powerful grouping of backbench MPs could well set new rules to trigger a confidence vote in Ms Truss’s leadership.
A weak performance will instantly be seized upon as a validation to oust her following the economic catastrophe caused by her mini-budget less than a month ago.
The portends are not good. Ms Truss will stand up at midday hours after the latest inflation figures showed them running at a 40-year high of 10.1 per cent.
In just her third PMQs since taking office last month, Ms Truss will be questioned for the first time on the unravelling of the disastrous budget.
A well-trodden phrase suggests that a week is a long time in politics. Seven days ago Ms Truss was defending her energy price cap policy to keep household bills below £2,500 ($2,818) for the next two years. Her income tax cut of 1p was the cornerstone for growth and her chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng was in complete agreement.
It did not, however, appear that those sitting behind Ms Truss were at all convinced. Nor were the markets.
But Ms Truss bought time by sacking her friend Mr Kwarteng and replacing him with the respected moderate Jeremy Hunt.
He steadied the ship ― and the markets ― by ditching the tax bonanza while warning of cuts to government spending to make up for a £40 billion shortfall in finances.
That shored up the City traders but not his colleagues. Challenged by Sir Keir Starmer to answer an urgent question on the economic debacle, Ms Truss sent in her place former leadership rival Penny Mordaunt.
Towards the end of an accomplished defence of the prime minister’s absence, memorably quipping “she’s not hiding under a desk”, her leader appeared in the Commons in one of the more bizarre moments in British political history.
While Ms Mordaunt had pleaded a matter in the national interest had required Ms Truss’s attention, the prime minister suddenly appeared towards the end of the debate. She then sat with a fixed, almost vacant stare and rictus smile, as Mr Hunt then unravelled her catastrophic economic plan.
That avoidance strategy will end at midday, when Mr Starmer raises the first of six questions to the prime minister.
Humane as he is, the Labour leader will likely use sharp questions honed by from his courtroom days, but not so cut throat that they will illicit sympathy for his opponent.
Labour probably want Ms Truss to remain in office, because her presence currently guarantees them a landslide general election victory, such is her lack of popularity.
Her leadership rating is minus 70, worse than Boris Johnson at his nadir. The Conservatives are 36 per cent behind in the latest election survey. Two thirds of Tory members want Ms Truss to go ― the same proportion that voted for her last month.
There is only so long that Conservative MPs can wear the blows that on current trajectory will mean many are ejected from their £84,000 salaries into the economic wasteland of their leader’s making.
THE NEW BATCH'S FOCUS SECTORS
AiFlux – renewables, oil and gas
DevisionX – manufacturing
Event Gates – security and manufacturing
Farmdar – agriculture
Farmin – smart cities
Greener Crop – agriculture
Ipera.ai – space digitisation
Lune Technologies – fibre-optics
Monak – delivery
NutzenTech – environment
Nybl – machine learning
Occicor – shelf management
Olymon Solutions – smart automation
Pivony – user-generated data
PowerDev – energy big data
Sav – finance
Searover – renewables
Swftbox – delivery
Trade Capital Partners – FinTech
Valorafutbol – sports and entertainment
Workfam – employee engagement
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
China and the UAE agree comprehensive strategic partnership
China and the UAE forged even closer links between the two countries during the landmark state visit after finalising a ten-point agreement on a range of issues, from international affairs to the economy and trade and renewable energy.
1. Politics: The two countries agreed to support each other on issues of security and to work together on regional and international challenges. The nations also confirmed that the number of high-level state visits between China and the UAE will increase.
2. Economy: The UAE offers its full support to China's Belt and Road Initiative, which will combine a land 'economic belt" and a "maritime silk road" that will link China with the Arabian Gulf as well as Southeast, South and Central China, North Africa and, eventually, Europe.
3. Business and innovation: The two nations are committed to exploring new partnerships in sectors such as Artificial Intelligence, energy, the aviation and transport industries and have vowed to build economic co-operation through the UAE-China Business Committee.
4. Education, science and technology: The Partnership Programme between Arab countries in Science and Technology will encourage young Emirati scientists to conduct research in China, while the nations will work together on the peaceful use of nuclear energy, renewable energy and space projects.
5. Renewable energy and water: The two countries will partner to develop renewable energy schemes and work to reduce climate change. The nations have also reiterated their support for the Abu Dhabi-based International Renewable Energy Agency.
6. Oil and gas: The UAE and China will work in partnership in the crude oil trade and the exploration and development of oil and natural gas resources.
7. Military and law enforcement and security fields: Joint training will take place between the Chinese and UAE armed forces, while the two nations will step up efforts to combat terrorism and organised crime.
8. Culture and humanitarian issues: Joint cultural projects will be developed and partnerships will be cultivated on the preservation of heritage, contemporary art and tourism.
9. Movement between countries: China and the UAE made clear their intent to encourage travel between the countries through a wide-ranging visa waiver agreement.
10. Implementing the strategic partnership: The Intergovernmental Co-operation Committee, established last year, will be used to ensure the objectives of the partnership are implemented.
Duterte Harry: Fire and Fury in the Philippines
Jonathan Miller, Scribe Publications
The Pope's itinerary
Sunday, February 3, 2019 - Rome to Abu Dhabi
1pm: departure by plane from Rome / Fiumicino to Abu Dhabi
10pm: arrival at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
Monday, February 4
12pm: welcome ceremony at the main entrance of the Presidential Palace
12.20pm: visit Abu Dhabi Crown Prince at Presidential Palace
5pm: private meeting with Muslim Council of Elders at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
6.10pm: Inter-religious in the Founder's Memorial
Tuesday, February 5 - Abu Dhabi to Rome
9.15am: private visit to undisclosed cathedral
10.30am: public mass at Zayed Sports City – with a homily by Pope Francis
12.40pm: farewell at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
1pm: departure by plane to Rome
5pm: arrival at the Rome / Ciampino International Airport
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
