UNITED KINGDOM: On Thursday, British PM candidate Rishi Sunak scored a surprise win with a studio audience at an important debate with rival Liz Truss in the race to become UK’s next Prime Minister. Despite Truss’ widespread popularity in the UK as per opinion polls in the country, Sunak was showered with overwhelming support in this key Sky News debate in a show of hands- after an electronic voting system broke down.
Truss faced vitriol and gruelling questioning from presenter Kay Burley, including a meticulously planned dissection of her policy u-turns in the past few weeks, raising the question, “Will the real Liz Truss, please stand up?”
Truss had earlier been compelled to reformulate her stance on a key issue, where her unabashed candour got the best of her. After her election campaign put out a damaging statement on Monday saying that the government could save nearly £8.8 billion ($10.75 billion) a year if only it paid lower salaries to public sector workers who lived outside the main hubbub of London.
Burley lunged at Truss over this issue and said, “You wanted to cut civil servants’ pay in the regions, and then you said you didn’t,” highlighting that Truss had later taken her words back when she understood the gravity of the situation.
Truss insisted that the proposal was perceived inappropriately and misrepresented by the media. Burley did not back down, saying, “Should good leaders own their mistakes, or should they blame others?”
Truss defended herself, saying, “I’m not blaming anybody else. I’m not. I’m not. I’m saying the policy has been misrepresented by various people,” appearing flustered.
Sunak was not spared, he was also grilled over his alleged ‘humble’ roots, contrary to the actual reality that he belongs to a family swimming in wealth. “People feel that you can’t walk a mile in their shoes because you’re walking in your Prada shoes,” Burley told Sunak, whose father-in-law is a billionaire. She mocked Sunak’s insistence on his strong attachment to the working-class backbone of the country, clarifying that his father was a doctor in the National Health Service (NHS).
Burley interjected, saying, “He never mentions it!” Contrary to Burley’s expectations, a large show of hands shot up for Sunak instead of Truss. The result of the vote between Sunak and Truss is due to be revealed on September 5.
