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ARAB AND WORLD

Wed 15 Mar 2023 10:10 pm - Jerusalem Time

Liz Terrace confronts Parliament and struggles to stay in office

London - (AFP) British Prime Minister Liz Terrace , whose popularity has fallen more than ever, faces MPs for the first time since the humiliating reversal of her economic programme, which is a test for this conservative official who wants to keep her job at all costs.


This is only her third session of her weekly questioning before Parliament but it is about her political continuity, in these oral responses that she feels less comfortable with than her predecessor Boris Johnson.


Terrace's authority declined a lot after it was rejected by public opinion and criticized from within the majority after only six weeks in power.
After unfunded tax cuts, it is the prospect of a below-inflationary pension revision that is sparking outrage and making headlines in the British press.


With inflation accelerating to 10.1 percent in September, the highest level in 40 years, "a revolt is being prepared among the Tories," according to the Daily Telegraph. For its part, the "Times" newspaper also touched on this "rebellion", considering at the time that such an unpopular decision is unlikely.


New Finance Minister Jeremy Hunt was keen on reassuring Wednesday morning, saying, "This government prioritizes the most vulnerable groups with achieving economic stability and the direction towards long-term growth that everyone desires," commenting on inflation reaching a new peak.


In an effort to calm the economic and political storm, the 47-year-old prime minister has had to almost completely reverse the deep tax cuts she promised during the campaign this summer, and Hunt has warned that public spending must be spared.


Markets seemed reassured, and the International Monetary Fund welcomed a return to “fiscal discipline” at a time when recession looms. But many fear a return to austerity, as happened during the 2008 financial crisis, which led to drastic cuts in public budgets and high unemployment rates.


The impeachment session in Parliament at 11:00 GMT will be the first in which Liz Terrace has spoken since her interview with the BBC on Monday evening, in which she expressed her "regret" for her "mistakes" while at the same time expressing her determination to stay in power. Authority.


But is there still time to hope to fix the situation? An opinion poll conducted by YouGov showed that out of ten Britons has a favorable opinion of Terrace, and one in five among conservative base voters. Fifty-five percent of the party members considered that Liz Terrace should resign, while only 38% expressed their desire for her to remain in her post.


The crisis dates back to the presentation of the "mini-budget" at the end of September by its then Finance Minister Kwasi Kwarting, which includes large tax cuts and strong support for energy bills, which raised fears of a decline in public accounts.


The pound sterling fell to its lowest levels and long-term government borrowing rates rose. The Bank of England was forced to intervene to prevent the situation from deteriorating into a financial crisis.


Jeremy Hunt, who was hastily appointed Friday as chancellor of the exchequer, reversed almost all of the tax cuts made by his predecessor, giving the impression that power was now in his hands, not the head of government.


Silent Terrace attended the presentation of this humiliating retraction in Parliament presented by Hunt. She appointed another minister, Penny Mordaunt, to represent her in order to explain the move to the opposition.


Two years before the next parliamentary elections, the Labor opposition is leading the Conservatives in opinion polls.


Five deputies from the Trass party urged the prime minister to leave. Because of the lack of a clear successor figure, the Conservatives seem reluctant to go through a new and long appointment process as they seek to agree on a name, but they are not close to achieving that.


"I really don't think starting a new campaign to get rid of another prime minister will convince the British that we think of them and not ourselves, nor will it convince the markets to remain calm," British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly told Sky News on Wednesday morning.

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Liz Terrace confronts Parliament and struggles to stay in office