The cost of living crisis won’t wait – we need a caretaker PM who can deliver stability
So the farce is over. The term has rarely been more apt after the Education Secretary, one of three in that post this week, resigned in protest of the prime minister who had appointed her a little over 36 hours prior.
Indeed, the resignations were happening at such a swift pace, you would be hard pressed to find a sport where you could push the counter up so quickly.
Drama, then, aside, we must turn to the grave consequences of a poor transition at such a critical time for the country. The importance of the next few months makes Boris Johnson wholly unsuitable for an interim role. We need someone to stabilise the country and set the next prime minister up for success. This is not a question of party politics, but one of economic imperative.
First, there needs to be an immediate tonal shift. One of Boris’ failings was his lack of an alternative gear. Pugilistic by nature, his style of communication and governance was entertaining for some, but it also raised the temperature on important national conversations. This trait seeped into his cabinet and their approach on big national conversations such as race, the role of the police, speech on university campuses, the future of our public broadcasters and school curriculums. The tone struck by the soon-to-be-former prime minister contributed to the venom injected into our public discourse. Any interim prime minister must use their platform to take the heat of the big policy debates, allowing the space for solutions to be discussed maturely and respectfully.
Second, an interim leader in this moment of transition must publicly reaffirm the values that underpin public service. Ideally, a caretaker prime minister would have no future leadership ambitions. Tory leadership contests are hardly known to be the most civil of affairs. Boris’ reluctance to leave office gracefully brought the UK perilously close to yet another constitutional crisis, taking the country into uncharted territory. The very mention of Lascelles principles, those rules which guide when Buckingham Palace can refuse an election, put many a hair on end. He has form. The prorogation of parliament and the disregard for truth or transparency has knocked some of the shine off our democracy. Yesterday, the woman stabbed in the back by Boris Johnson, Theresa May delivered this point eloquently: “Playing by the rules means doing so not because you have to, but because you want to.”
Working off of those two principles, the caretaker prime minister needs to use their pulpit-for-now to signal the Conservatives’ intention to deliver a plan for our people, business and planet. The cost of living crisis will not wait for a permanent leader. Not even six weeks. The interim should use this moment to bring the best and brightest from across party lines and civil society to build a more comprehensive plan than the last one.
The interim government can act quickly to address the labour shortages that are having an impact on so many businesses, especially in sectors like hospitality. A signal of purpose. A signal of intent. A signal that the country can still solve multiple challenges amid political upheaval. A signal that will help shore up much of the wavering support in Britain our politics disintegrated into wanton bloodletting.
It may only last a few months, but an interim prime minister could have a sizable impact on the direction of the country by finding opportunities in turmoil. In fact, this unique situation might allow such an individual to be bolder than their predecessor or successor.