I cannot deliver the mandate on which I was elected by the conservative party. Liz truss resigned after just 45 days in power, becoming the shortest-serving prime minister of the UK by quite a margin. Her plans to cut taxes roiled financial markets and left her with the lowest approval rating for a British leader in decades. We have taken decisive action. They crashed the economy. Here's how her six weeks in power unfolded and the reasons why her premiership came crashing down so quickly. It all started when Liz Truss won the leadership contest beating out other candidates including former UK treasury Chief Rishi Sunak. Liz trust is elected as the leader of the conservative and unionist party. When she won the contest, she strode onto the stage brimming with confidence it would go on to Mark the high point of her tenure. Days later she got her first shock, the death of Queen Elizabeth II the country's longest-serving and much-beloved Monarch. Queen Elizabeth II was the rock on which modern Britain was built. Mrs. Truss made a moving speech at the Queen's funeral days before she set about installing her agenda and delivering her promises from the elite leadership campaign. I have three priorities for our economy, growth, growth, and growth. and it's also when her political problems began. mistrust and her finance minister Kwasi Kwarteng unveiled a far-reaching series of economic reforms.
I can announce today that we will cut the basic rate of income tax to 19 pence in April 2023 one year earlier. Within minutes of Mr. Kwarteng 's presentation, the markets responded. The pound began dropping and yields on UK government debt began to soar making the cost of borrowing for the government much more expensive. The plans soon drew criticism from some unusual quarters including the IMF which criticized its fiscal stimulus at a time when the Bank of England was trying to raise interest rates to stop inflation. It also drew criticism from U.S President Joe Biden. Well, it's predictable, I mean it was I wasn't the only one that thought it was a mistake. As the financial backlash deepened against the plan and ordinary Britons were worried about higher mortgage payments on their houses. It seemed the political pressure was growing and the mood darkening. King Charles seemed to sum it up… In the days that followed things started to unravel quickly. Truss basically fired her Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng who was an old ally and replaced him with Jeremy Hunt. Within a day he began pairing back her initial ideas with a series of U-turns on the tax cuts.So it's a time when markets are rightly demanding commitments to sustainable public finances it is not right to borrow to fund this tax cut.Within three days her package had been nearly entirely eviscerated.
“Liz the brief”
Is this your last prime minister's questions? Miss truss who is seen as headstrong was not about to quit even as the chaos grew, she turned up to Parliament and vowed to fight on I am a fighter and not a quitter. For Briton’s, Mrs. Truss will be remembered as “Liz the brief’ the shortest-serving prime minister in history. She will also be remembered as a symptom of growing dysfunction within the Tory party which is driven by divisions and differing visions of how to take the country forward.
Questions:
Part 1: Comprehension
Watch and summarize the video thinking of who, what, when, where & why.
Part 2: True or False Questions
a) True or false – Liz Truss had the lowest approval rating for a British leader in decades. T/F
b) True or False – Liz Truss over 6 weeks in office. T/F
c) True or False – People did not trust Truss and Kwarteng. T/F
d) True or False – Truss fired her chancellor, Jeremy Hunt. T/F
Part 3: Guess the meaning of unknown vocabulary
a) "Roiled" (0:16 min)
b) "Strode"(0:53 min)
c) "Far-reaching" (1:43 min)
d) "Headstrong" (3:34 min)
Part 4: Dictation
a) Fill in the blanks (0:36- 0:45 minutes)I t all started __________________________________________Rishi Sunak.
b) Fill in the blanks (1:59 - 2:10 minutes) The pound ____________________________________________ much more expensive.
c) Dictation 3 - Fill in the blanks (3:07 - 3:14 minutes) Within ____________________________________ tax cuts.
Part 5: Talking Points
Part 6: Role play Scenarios
Scenario 1: Political Press Conference
Two students can roleplay as Liz Truss and a journalist. Liz Truss can hold a press conference to announce her resignation as Prime Minister and explain the reasons behind her decision. The journalist can ask probing questions about her tenure, the reasons for her resignation, and the impact of her policies.
Scenario 2: Party Leadership Debate
Two students can roleplay as Liz Truss and a fellow Conservative Party member. Liz Truss can defend her actions and policies as the leader of the party, while the party member can express concerns and criticisms. They can engage in a debate about the direction of the party, the challenges it faces, and the way forward.
Scenario 3: Public Opinion Polling
Two students can roleplay as pollsters conducting interviews with members of the public about their views on Liz Truss' resignation. They can ask questions about their perceptions of her leadership, her policies, and the reasons for her resignation. They can also discuss the implications of her resignation on the Conservative Party and the country as a whole.
Part 7: Writing Activity
Describe your best friend in as much detail as possible, talking about both their appearance and personality. Are they headstrong?
Part 8: Critical Thinking - The Greatest Leader.
Objective: To create a presentation talking about the greatest leader you know, outlining what makes a good leader.
Individually create a short 1 page presentation on the greatest leader you know. Give reasons to support your opinion outlining what you think makes a good leader.
The leaders can be (famous) political, sporting, employment or family/friends.
Then as a class reach a consensus on the best leader.
Answers:
Part 1: Comprehension
This is a report from the Wall Street Journal, and it looks at the timeline of Liz Truss’s reign as prime minister of the UK. They said it all started when Liz Truss won the leadership contest beating out other candidates including former UK treasury Chief Rishi Sunak, but when Kwarteng announced his budget things started to go wrong for her. The financial markets responded negatively and there was a huge backlash. Truss said that she had three priorities for our economy, growth, growth, and growth and in a bid to undo the failed proposal fired Kwarteng, but it did not work out and she resigned after just 45 days in power becoming the shortest-serving prime minister of the UK by quite a margin. Truss made a moving speech at the Queen's funeral days before she set about installing her agenda and delivering her promises from the elite leadership campaign. This was ultimately the pinnacle point of her leadership, but she would be fired and go on to be known as ‘Liz the brief”.
Part 2: True or False
A: True B: False C: True D: False
Part 3: Guess the meaning of unknown vocabulary or phrases
a) "Roiled" Answer: I think this means to make irritated or turbulent because in the video Liz Truss implemented a policy that created turmoil in the financial markets.
b) "Strode" Answer: This is the past tense of stride, and it means to walk with long decisive, or confident steps because in the video the speaker talks about Mrs. Truss walking on the stage in her first presentation brimming with confidence.
c) "Far-reaching" Answer: I think this means to have important and widely applicable effects or implications on something because in the video the speaker talks about the new policies, who they will affect, and how damaging they were for so many people.
d) "Headstrong" Answer: I think this means to be determined and unwilling to quit because in the video Liz Truss is described as headstrong and it stated that she didn’t want to quit her position easily.
Part 4: Dictation
a) Fill in the blanks (0:36 - 0:45 minutes) It all started when Liz Truss won the leadership contest beating out other candidates including former UK treasury Chief Rishi Sunak.
b) Fill in the blanks (1:59 - 2:10 minutes) The pound began dropping and yields on UK government debt began to soar making the cost of borrowing for the government much more expensive.
c) Dictation 3 - Fill in the blanks (3:07 - 3:14 minutes) Within a day he began pairing back her initial ideas with a series of U-turns on the tax cuts.
Part 7: Writing (example)
My best friend is quite tall and handsome, with a warm smile that makes him look friendly. He has short hair and often wears casual clothes like jeans and t-shirts. He's really kind, always ready to help others without expecting anything in return. His sense of humor is one of his best traits; he has a way of telling stories that makes everyone around him laugh. He's passionate about sports, particularly football and basketball, and spends a lot of his free time playing and watching games. He's not only athletic but also very supportive, cheering on his friends during their own sports matches. He's a great listener and gives good advice, making him someone I trust and enjoy being around.
