Introduction
Conservative leadership has changed significantly since the days of Margaret Thatcher and John Major. With the rise of the populist right in Europe, there is a renewed interest in conservative policies. In this policy guide, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak offer a primer on what conservative leadership entails, discussing key issues such as deregulation, welfare reform, and law and order.
What is Conservative Leadership?
The Conservative leadership is selecting a leader from one of the main political parties in the United Kingdom. It usually happens when a party doesn't have a clear successor and needs to choose someone to take over. The leader must be able to unite the party and communicate their policies to the public.
The Conservative Party has had three leaders since David Cameron took over in 2010: Cameron, Theresa May, and now Liz Truss. Truss is the only woman to lead the Conservative Party and the youngest leader in British history. She was born in 1970, which means she is 47 years old.
Truss was appointed Secretary of State for Justice in May 2016. This makes her the second most senior member of Theresa May's cabinet. She oversees justice policy, prisons, probation, criminal courts, legal aid, and deportation services.
Before she became Secretary of State for Justice, Truss was Chief Secretary to the Treasury. This is her first government position; she has been in politics for more than 25 years. She served as George Osborne's adviser before being appointed Chief Secretary to the Treasury in 2014.
The Conservative Leadership Race
The Conservative leadership contest has been long and convoluted, with seven candidates in the running. But what have we learned so far about the front runners? And who should you support? Here's our guide to Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak.
Liz Truss is the current favorite to become the next Conservative leader. She is a former minister of justice and has a lot of experience in government. She is also very popular within the party and has a good relationship with Theresa May and David Cameron.
Rishi Sunak is another candidate who has been doing well in the polls. He is a businessman and was previously deputy chairman of the Conservative Party. He has a lot of ideas about how to improve the party, and his policies are considered to be very conservative.
Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak: The New Prime Ministers
Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak are the new prime ministers of the UK. Their policies will guide the Conservative Party through the next election.
Liz Truss: The frontrunner
With good reason, Liz Truss is the frontrunner for Conservative Party leadership. She has a wealth of experience both in the public sector and business, and she is well-known for her work on financial reform—truss advocates for free market principles and a limited government in terms of policy.
She has also shown herself to advocate for the UK's economy strongly. In October 2017, she announced that she would be stepping down from her role as Chief Secretary to the Treasury to join the business world full-time. This movie shows her commitment to ensuring that Britain remains one of the world's leading economies.
Truss is well-qualified to be a Conservative leader and has shown herself to be a committed spokesperson for her party. She will likely continue the recent trend of Conservative solid leadership candidates, and she could lead the party to victory in future elections.
Rishi Sunak: The outsider
Rishi Sunak is a young conservative thinker who is not afraid to break the mold. He graduated from Oxford University and worked as a policy advisor to Prime Minister David Cameron. In 2015 he was appointed the Conservative Party’s Director of Strategy and Policy. Recently he was named as the new Conservative Party Chairman.
Sunak has made it his mission to modernize the Conservative Party while maintaining its core values. He believes conservatism is not about “a list of dos and don’ts” but rather “pragmatic problem solving.” His approach focuses on three key areas: economic management, social reform, and national security.
The Conservatives’ Agenda for the Next Parliament
The Conservative Party has announced its policy guide for the next Parliament, packed with ideas on getting Britain back on track.
Leader of the Conservative Party and Secretary of State for Justice Liz Truss has outlined her vision for the party, including tackling inequality, creating jobs, and strengthening our economy.
Sunak Research Associates’ Rishi Sunak looked at some critical proposals in the policy guide and summarized why they are essential.
For example, Sunak says that one of the key proposals is to cut taxes for businesses and families, which will create jobs and help businesses grow. The policy also includes a plan to increase defense spending by £2 billion over the next five years, which will help Britain maintain its global leadership role.
Truss also outlined her plans for Brexit, saying that she wants to ensure that Britain leaves the European Union in a “stronger position” than when we entered it. She plans to create a new trade agreement with the EU to protect British jobs and industries.
The Five Laws of Conservative Leadership
1. Listen to your constituents and base your decisions on their wants and needs.
2. Be transparent with your policies and stick to them.
3. Make sure you are accessible to the public and answer any questions they may have.
4. Take care of your team and ensure they are kept up to date on what is happening at the party.
5. Be humble and remember that you are just a servant.
Conservative Leadership: Themes and Plans
Conservative leadership candidates Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak have released a policy guide outlining their plans for the next government. The guide covers several topics, from the economy to foreign policy. Here are four key takeaways:
1. The two candidates focus on fiscal responsibility. They want to reduce government spending, lower taxes, and reform the welfare system.
2. They want to increase defense spending. Sunak says Britain should be "leading from the front" in defense expenditure, while Truss says Britain must maintain its "status as a global power."
3. They want to reduce immigration levels. Sunak wants to reduce net migration levels to below 100,000 per year, while Truss wants to cut immigration levels by 50 percent over five years.
4. They want to renegotiate the UK's relationship with the European Union. Truss and Sunak favor remaining in the EU but negotiating more favorable terms for Britain, such as greater control over British borders and laws.
What are the Conservative Leadership Values?
The Conservative Leadership Values are:
1. Respect for individuals and their independence
2. Belief in hard work, enterprise, and meritocracy
3. A vigorous defense of the UK's national security and freedom
4. A commitment to the rule of law and respect for human rights
5. A belief in traditional family values and the importance of community cohesion
6. Conserving British culture and heritage
What are Liz Truss's Policy Priorities?
Liz Truss, the Conservative Party's candidate for the UK's Southern Counties region, has released her policy guide on public sector reform. Authored by Rishi Sunak, the policy guide outlines Truss's priorities for reforming Britain's public sector.
Truss's top policy priorities include reducing the size of government, lowering taxes, and promoting private-sector innovation. She also plans to improve services and foster competition in the public sector.
Sunak and Truss argue that these reforms will create more jobs and improve the quality of public services. They also contend that these measures will be more cost-effective than larger government projects.
Truss will likely face strong opposition from Labour Party members in the Southern Counties region. Her policies may also face resistance from within the Conservative ranks. However, if she can carry out her plan, she could be a significant player in British politics in the years to come.
What are Rishi Sunak's Policy Priorities?
Rishi Sunak is a Conservative Leadership candidate and policy guide. He has been nominated as the Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy. In this role, he will develop and promote the Conservative Party's industrial strategy.
Sunak is a graduate of Durham University and the London School of Economics. He has worked in the private sector, most recently as CEO of a property development company.
In an interview with The Times, Sunak said that his priorities would be to promote business growth and create jobs, reduce energy prices, reduce business taxation, and cut red tape.
Policy areas covered
Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak's Conservative Leadership: Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak Policy Guide highlight the critical policy areas that the new Conservative leadership focuses on. These include Brexit, immigration, tax reform, and health care.
Immigration
Conservative leadership contender Liz Truss has set out her plans on immigration, pledging to reduce net migration to the tens of thousands and make it easier for migrants to become British citizens.
Truss said she wanted a “merit-based” system of immigration that would prioritize skills and talent. She also pledged to end the “ Jungle” camp on the border with France and increase support for British businesses investing in overseas markets.
Former Conservative minister Rishi Sunak has also released a policy guide on immigration, which calls for an end to preferential treatment for EU migrants, stricter rules on student visas, and a halt to asylum applications from people who have already been refused refugee status in another country.
The Conservatives face pressure from both the right and the left of their party over their stance on immigration. Some members want to see a reduction in net migration levels to below 100,000, while others want to increase the number of immigrants allowed into Britain.
Liz Truss's Views on Immigration
Liz Truss is the Minister for Justice and Cabinet Secretary. She was appointed in May this year and has been vocal about her views on immigration. In an interview with The Guardian, Truss stated that she believes that there is a “need to have a managed migration system” and that the UK should not be “pick[ing] and choos[ing] who they want to come here.” She also said that the government needs to focus on “those who are already here and making a contribution.”
Truss's stance on immigration is in line with that of her Conservative Party leader, Theresa May. As Home Secretary under David Cameron, May implemented several harsh immigration policies, such as limiting the number of immigrants who could be granted refugee status in Britain each year to 20,000 and requiring immigrants seeking work permits to have a job offer from a British company. This policy led to tension between May and the migrant community, culminating in the "London riots" of August 2011.
Truss's views may be controversial, but they are reflected in Conservative Party policy. As Minister for Justice, she will be responsible for implementing these policies.
Rishi Sunak's Views on Immigration
Rishi Sunak is a Conservative Political Strategist and the Director of Communications for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. In an article for The Telegraph, Mr. Sunak shares his thoughts on the Conservative Party's stance on immigration, which he views as more moderate than that of their Liberal counterparts:
"The Conservatives' stance is much more sensible. They want to limit the number of immigrants coming in, based on their economic impact rather than on their share of population. The Liberals want to bring in a million immigrants annually and increase the number of refugees by 50 per cent. That's not going to work."
Mr. Sunak argues that Canada's infrastructure is already strained enough and that bringing in even more people from outside our country is not practical or necessary. He believes that the Conservatives' plan would be better for Canada's economy in the long run and would help to ease some of the pressure on our social services and educational institutions.
Brexit
Since the Brexit referendum, there has been a lot of discussion on what Conservative leadership could look like and who would be best suited for the job. With Theresa May stepping down, much speculation has been on who could take her place.
One name that has come up is Liz Truss, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Truss is a staunch Brexiteer and has been critical of the EU since the referendum. She is also known for her policy chops, having previously served as Chief Secretary to the Treasury and as an MP for North East Bedfordshire.
Another potential candidate is Rishi Sunak, India’s Minister of State for Planning & Development. Sunak is a strong proponent of free trade and is considered a rising star in Indian politics. He has also spoken out against Brexit, calling it “a mistake” that will negatively affect Britain and Europe.
Whoever becomes Conservative leader will likely have to navigate delicate negotiations with the EU over Brexit negotiations. Whoever takes on this daunting task will need someone with Truss’ policy chops and Sunak’s trade expertise, which makes Liz Truss an obvious choice for the Tory leadership.
Liz Truss's Views on Brexit
Liz Truss is a Conservative MP for Rutland and Melton. She is the Secretary of State for Education and Civil Society.
In this Policy Guide, Truss offers her views on Brexit, which show that she is very pro-Brexit.
She believes the UK should leave the EU because it is a “bad deal” for Britain. She also thinks that the EU has too much power over member countries and is not open enough.
Truss believes that Brexit will benefit Britain because it will give the country more control over its laws and borders.
Rishi Sunak's Views on Brexit
Conservative leadership candidate Rishi Sunak has released a policy guide outlining his views on Brexit. The document sets out how Sunak would approach the negotiations and what he believes the UK's goals should be.
Sunak believes that the UK should aim to remain as close as possible to the European Union economically and that any changes to freedom of movement should be done carefully. He also believes that the UK should maintain its relationship with the EU security alliance and that any new trade deals should be reciprocal.
Sunak's policy guide is a reasonably detailed look at how he would approach Brexit negotiations, and it will be interesting to see how other candidates respond to it.
The NHS
The NHS has been a thorn in the side of the Conservative Party for many years. As recently as 2010, David Cameron was caught on camera admitting that he would "cut [the NHS] back" if he became Prime Minister. In recent years, however, the Conservative Party has come to recognize the importance of the NHS and its bipartisan support. This is in large part due to the work of Liz Truss, who has served as Secretary of State for Health since July 2016.
Truss is a vocal advocate for the NHS and has been instrumental in reining wasteful spending on the health service. She has also made it a priority to promote private-sector involvement in healthcare Delivery. Truss's policy guide, released in February 2018, provides detailed advice on improving the NHS and making it more efficient. The guide includes proposals for expanding access to mental health services, increasing funding for GP surgeries, and introducing a new system for paying doctors and nurses.
The Conservatives have made serious strides towards improving the NHS under Truss's leadership, and her policy guide provides a roadmap for continued success.
Liz Truss's Views on NHS
In the past, Liz Truss has voiced her support for the NHS. She has stated that she is a “huge fan” of the NHS and that it is one of the best examples of British public service. To improve the NHS, Truss feels that there needs to be more focus on prevention and better communication between patients and healthcare providers. She also believes that the NHS should be made more efficient and cost-effective to continue providing high-quality care for all of its patients.
Rishi Sunak was a Conservative MP appointed Chief Secretary to the Treasury in July 2016. Before this, he served as Minister for State for Finance from May 2015 until July 2016. Sunak has a background in economics, with degrees from Oxford University and Harvard Business School. He has also worked as a consultant for Bain & Company and Lehman Brothers. Sunak believes the Conservative Party must develop a new economic strategy to win future elections. One of his main goals is to reduce government spending to increase economic growth. He also believes that the government should take steps to reduce income inequality and increase wages for low-income earners.
Rishi Sunak's Views on NHS
Rishi Sunak is a Conservative MP and Policy Adviser to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Liz Truss. In an interview with the Times in December 2016, Mr. Sunak said he "fundamentally disagrees" with Theresa May's plans for NHS reform. The article looks at how his views on the NHS differ from those of other Conservatives and what they mean for policy.
Mr. Sunak has said he wants to see "more competition and choice" in the NHS, arguing that this will lead to better patient value for money. He also says he is open to privatizing parts of the NHS, although he insists this should only be done if there is evidence that it delivers better services. These are significant differences from Theresa May's plans for NHS reform, which see the government aiming to create a single National Health Service (NHS) free from competition and focused on patient care rather than cost savings.
Tax Reform
The Conservative Party has pledged to overhaul the taxation system, introducing several reforms to reduce the burden on individuals and businesses.
Liz Truss, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, has outlined the party’s proposals, which include reducing the introductory tax rate from 20p to 17p and increasing the threshold at which people pay tax from £11,500 to £12,500.
Rishi Sunak, President of the National Economic Council and former head of private equity firm Bain Capital, has also offered insights into how the Conservative Party can improve economic growth.
"We need to get more people working," he said. "That means making it easier for businesses to expand and hire new workers, cutting red tape so they can do business more easily and boosting innovation."
Truss and Sunak’s policy guide offers a range of ways the Conservatives could achieve these goals, including through cuts to government spending, deregulation, and reform of the welfare system.
Liz Truss's Views on Tax Reform
The Conservative Party has pledged to reduce the UK’s corporation tax rate from 20% to 17% by 2020. The party has also promised to abolish the 10p income tax rate, which the Labour government introduced in 2010. Truss and Sunak outline five key areas where reform is needed:
- Tax planning: The current system allows individuals and businesses to exploit loopholes and avoid paying their fair share of tax. This needs to be reformed, so everyone pays their fair share, regardless of income.
- Tax avoidance: HMRC needs more resources to investigate tax avoidance schemes and bring companies who engage in them to justice.
- The business rate: The current system creates an unfair benefit for larger businesses, which can pay less than smaller businesses. This needs to be reformed, so everyone pays their fair share, regardless of size.
- Child tax credits: The eligibility criteria for child tax credits are too restrictive, leading to many parents losing out on money they are entitled to. This needs to be reformed so that more parents can claim child tax credits, regardless of their income.
- Inheritance tax: Inheritance tax is a regressive tax.
Rishi Sunak's Views on Tax Reform
On October 12, 2016, Rishi Sunak, Conservative MP for Richmond (Yorks), released a Policy Guide on Tax Reform. The guide outlines Sunak's thoughts on reforming the Canadian tax system and making it more competitive and efficient. The guide is divided into four main sections: tax fairness, economic growth and competitiveness, simplicity and efficiency, and global integration.
Sunak believes the Canadian tax system is unfair and does not reflect the country's economic strengths. He argues that Canada should focus on raising taxes on high-income earners and reducing or eliminating tax breaks for businesses and individuals. He also believes Canada should adopt a territorial taxation system, which would exempt companies' profits from Canadian taxes if generated abroad.
Sunak believes economic growth and competitiveness are essential to any successful tax system. He argues that Canada's current tax system is too complex and makes it difficult for businesses to compete in the global marketplaces. He also believes that Canada's tax system is inefficient due in part to the many exemptions and special privileges within the system.
Finally, Sunak argues that Canada should embrace globalization to remain competitive in the global marketplace.
Conclusion
I hope you have found this guide on Conservative leadership helpful. Liz Truss' policy positions and Rishi Sunak's are outlined throughout the article. If you would like a more in-depth look at each of these individuals, please see my blog post: Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak - A Comprehensive Policy Guide. Whether you are a Conservative voter or not, hopefully, this will give you a better understanding of the policies that these two candidates support.
As we head into an uncertain political landscape, it is essential to have leaders who can guide the country through these times. Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak are two such leaders who have both demonstrated their ability to navigate tricky waters in the past. In this policy guide, we looked at some of their critical conservative leadership policies and why they make perfect sense for the UK at this time.