Star comment: Liz Truss must be allowed to lead - but shadow of Boris Johnson looms large
There is no doubt that Boris Johnson feels wronged. The former Prime Minister believes he was unfairly ousted from Number 10 and it is clear that he feels he has unfinished business.
Some will agree, particularly after the way in which his own party turned on him to remove him. As a student of history, Mr Johnson is no doubt unhappy at the legacy he is leaving behind. Indeed, he spent the last few days of his Premiership reminding people that he ‘got the big calls right’.
There was widespread sympathy for Mr Johnson when the pandemic hit, perhaps even more so when he became ill with Covid-19. Yet that support ebbed away as scandals and questions around his integrity refused to go away.
His relationship with the truth was not as straightforward as we would expect from a national leader and the unedifying roll call of alleged indiscretions grew, rather than diminishing.
At times, he seemed unable to learn from his own mistakes, or become a better team player.
Despite that, he remains a hugely popular figure, capable of galvanising support among non-traditional Tory voters.
Liz Truss must reunite the party, heal the divisions that have been so damaging, and win public backing for a party that is trailing Labour in the polls. The shadow of Boris Johnson, however, will continue to loom large. Few could write him off, or bet against him staging a second tilt for the top.
Yet the nation must now move on and Ms Truss must be given the opportunity to lead. The task facing her is considerable and she must make the bold decisions she spoke of during the leadership campaign.
As the dust settles on a tumultuous few days in Downing Street, Liz Truss must now get on with the job - and addressing the spiralling cost-of-living crisis will be at the top of her list.
The leadership contest left a vacuum at the top of Government and the summer-long inertia poorly served the nation. Various reports have suggested measures to freeze bills until 2024 for struggling households - and possibly businesses too. We don’t yet know what will be announced, but such intervention would be welcomed by many. One note of caution, however. The cost of such measures will be enormous and the bill will take years to pay.
The nation’s finances are in a mess and the trade-offs we have faced in recent times - Covid and energy bills - must one day be met. Liz Truss has promised to grow the economy. For the sake of our national finances, we must hope she does.
