Two days after her induction into office, then Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Liz Truss faced the task of responding to Queen Elizabeth II’s death.
Following a nation-wide mourning period, which slowed the already struggling economy, Truss revealed a plan to radically transform the government’s economic program by cutting taxes, particularly for large corporations and high-income individuals. The new agenda exacerbated record-high rates of inflation, plummeting the value of the British pound and British bonds. After her favorability polls plunged, Truss resigned on October 20. On October 23, the new prime minister, Rishi Sunak, took office. Sunak is the first person of color to hold this position in the nation’s history.
