ECONOMY

Wed 15 Mar 2023 8:09 pm - Jerusalem Time

Liz Terrace, the favorite to assume the British Prime Minister, is ruling out an economic recession

LONDON (AFP) - Conservative Party leadership frontrunner Liz Terrace downplayed the prospect of a recession in Britain , while her nominee to take over as Chancellor of the Exchequer reassured Britons that "help is on the way" with the continuing rise in the cost of living.


Polls favoring her victory over her rival, former Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak, Terrace has vowed to become Britain's next prime minister, vowing to lead "a revolution in small business and private enterprise" if she comes to power.


"There is a lot of talk about a recession," she told The Sun on Sunday newspaper. "I don't think it's inevitable. Here in Britain we can unlock opportunities."


And she believed that the United Kingdom should create the economic conditions to produce "the next Google or the next Facebook," noting that "ambition reaches this level."


Speaking separately to the Mail on Sunday, Business Secretary Kwasi Quarting, who is expected to take over the Treasury in the Truss government, said he understood the "deep concern" gripping Britain with inflation reaching a level not seen in decades.


"But I want to reassure the British people that help is on its way to you," he told the newspaper, noting that work had begun on the "best package of measures" that would allow the next prime minister to "start working quickly."


The Conservative Party's nearly 200,000 members have until September 2 to choose their new leader.


Since the party has a majority in Parliament, the winner will become prime minister, succeeding Boris Johnson, who resigned in July after several scandals.


The announcement of the voting results is expected on the fifth of September.

But Michael Gove, the conservative deputy who held ministerial positions in the governments of three prime ministers over the past 11 years, considered on Saturday that Terrace was "far from reality" with its proposals to cut taxes in the face of the cost of living crisis.


Gove, who also previously served as leader of the Conservative Party, has backed Sunak as prime minister.


Terrace opposes Sunak's approach on how to deal in an unstable economic and social context, where inflation exceeded 10% and strikes escalated in many sectors to protest the decline in purchasing power.


Terrace has promised big tax cuts, while her opponent first wants to reduce inflation, which has caused a historic decline in the purchasing power of British households.


Gove told The Times he was "extremely concerned that for so many people the rhetoric has deviated from reality."


He added, "Addressing the cost of living crisis is not to provide new + financial aid + and cut taxes."


He asserts that the proposed reduction "will benefit the wealthy" and "big companies" at the expense of small business owners and the most vulnerable groups.


"I don't see how protecting CEO stock options takes priority over supporting the poorest in our society. But in a time of need it just can't be the right priority," Gove said.


During this campaign, Michael Gove defended candidate Kimmy Badnock before she was defeated. He announced that he did not expect to participate in a new government.

Tags

Share your opinion

Liz Terrace, the favorite to assume the British Prime Minister, is ruling out an economic recession

MORE FROM ECONOMY