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UK's Liz Truss & Charles III face tough challenges ahead
In early September, in just 48 hours the UK got a new prime minister (Liz Truss) and a new king (Charles III, after the death of Queen Elizabeth II).
Both take over at a turbulent time in British politics, but Truss in particular faces a list of domestic obstacles with no easy fix. Her top priorities are the economy and the energy crisis aggravated by Russia's war in Ukraine, Ian Bremmer explains on GZERO World.
And then, of course, there's Brexit, which never seems to go away. Truss is bracing for a fight with Brussels over the Northern Ireland protocol.
Meanwhile, Charles III will also have to grapple with the future of the Commonwealth and the looming threat of another Scottish independence vote.
This clip is part of the GZERO World episode on upheaval in the UK. Watch here.
Podcast: "United" Kingdom? Tony Blair on Truss, Charles, Brexit, and division in UK & beyond
Listen: In the span of just 48 hours in early September, the United Kingdom got a new prime minister, Liz Truss, and a new monarch, King Charles III. Both face big challenges in their new roles. For Truss, the Tory leader: a range of issues from inflation to the ongoing fallout of Brexit. For Charles: the relevance of the monarchy itself, now that Britain's longest-serving and much-beloved queen is gone. The United Kingdom also faces staggering inflation and a looming energy crunch. On the GZERO World Podcast, Ian Bremmer talks with a man who occupied 10 Downing Street for a decade - former prime minister Tony Blair - about the road ahead for his country. Blair believes there will be a lot of uncertainty over the next year or two if Truss insists on big tax cuts and big borrowing. He also looks back at the queen's legacy and the future of the monarchy, explains why Brexit will hurt - but probably not fragment - the UK, and argues that we need to return to his comfort zone of the political center to fix today's problems.
A PUPPET REGIME job opening: Queen Consort
With Camilla's popularity flagging, other world leaders make the case for why they should have her job as queen consort to the UK's King Charles III.
Watch more PUPPET REGIME!
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Remembering Queen Elizabeth II
Ian Bremmer's Quick Take: Queen Elizabeth II, the longest serving monarch in UK history and virtually in world history, is no longer with us. Queen Elizabeth has reigned under 15 prime ministers, starting with Churchill. And in this time, the United Kingdom went from global power and industrial powerhouse to a post-European middle power. She's lived through and reigned through the legacy of colonialism, the end of British Empire, and now of course the end of the UK in Europe. The death of the Queen and her succession will dominate the news, certainly across the UK and the Commonwealth for some time. It's going to overshadow the arrival of Liz Truss as prime minister and all of her major economic announcements.
There's a lot to say here. Queen Elizabeth has long been seen as the single most popular figure in Britain, and her death will undoubtedly be received with enormous sadness by a public that's been battered by two years of COVID crisis, on top of shambolic Brexit process, massive domestic political scandals, independence movements, particularly in Scotland. And on top of that, now an enormous cost of living crisis that's worse than any other G7 economy. So, it's not hit the UK at an opportune time at all. And the impact of her death really on the public mood should not be underestimated, given that the Queen has long been seen as a beacon of stability in the United Kingdom in an uncertain and very volatile world.
The prime minister and the leader of the opposition were told of the news of the Queen's failing health during exchanges in the Commons on this energy package that they're passing to try to take some of the weight of massive inflation off of the British public. And when the news spread, Westminster became unusually somber, with MPs talking of nothing else and speculating on the implications of her death. And I would say that the monarchy has remained popular in the UK largely because of the Queen and the extraordinary way that she has performed her duties.
Under the British Constitution, the Queen is Head of State, but without any critical role in government other than formally appointing her prime minister, which she had just done, and accepting their resignation, which she also just done, also giving her assent to pieces of legislation. But through the Privy Council, the monarch is kept informed of all government activities, but does not in any way influence them. So it's really a titular and a symbolic rule.
But as Head of State over 70 years, from Churchill now to Truss having served under her, Queen Elizabeth has remained utterly impartial. And I say that in particular because Prince Charles, Queen Elizabeth's son and heir to the throne, has been far less cautious about allowing his opinions to reach the public's ear. And if the monarchy is to continue to succeed in the UK, he'll certainly need to exercise significantly greater restraint.
Affection for the Queen has been a critical factor in keeping the Commonwealth together and holding off calls in many countries for complete independence. And indeed, I would expect that Republican movements in countries with constitutional parliamentary monarchies will likely now grow. For example, in Australia, Republicanism is the official stance of the Labor Party. We'll see a lot more of that, I think, across the Commonwealth.
It's an odd thing for an American, this idea that you have a king or a queen with hereditary rule, however symbolic it is. And yes, it's certainly true that a lot of Brits complain about the lavish living of the royals and the scandals. But we should also be clear that the Queen and the monarchy are huge tourist attractions in Britain, and it's impossible to quantify the revenue that they've brought in from tourism. It certainly will have paid for much, if not well over, the cost of maintaining the monarchy.
But finally, Queen Elizabeth is loved across the world in an extraordinary and singular way. And in that regard, I just want to close by saying that we'll miss her.
Royal Wedding
Trump. Harry and Meghan. And a wedding (but not the one you think).
#PUPPETREGIME