Leaders of the RCN and of Unison have called for a general election as the UK heads for its third Prime Minister in a year. Liz Truss stepped down after a mere 45 days on Thursday following a tumultuous few weeks which saw her plans for unfunded tax cuts send financial markets into turmoil, and losing both her Chancellor of the Exchequer and her Home Secretary.
‘This government collapsed because it pursued a narrow agenda for the rich — giving most to those who have the most. Working people — our half a million nursing staff chief amongst them — deserve better than that raw deal,’ said RCN General Secretary Pat Cullen.
‘A reshuffling of faces, if not met by a radical shift in outlook, will not inspire confidence. In the eyes of our members, perhaps only a fresh election can move the country forward.’
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Describing the Ms Truss’s Conservative Party as ‘unfit to govern’, Unison general secretary Christina McAnea said: ‘This farce cannot go on.
‘The crisis affecting the country is so deep that the only solution is to have an election. There should be one immediately so voters can choose a government to get the country back on its feet.’
There is no constitutional requirement to hold an election, as the Conservatives hold a hefty parliamentary majority, but all the opposition parties and a handful of Conservative MPs have called for one, believing it is the only way a new PM can claim democratic legitimacy.
The Conservative Party has announced an abbreviated process for being the next leader, and it is thought that the new PM will be announced by the end of next week.
But the RCN warned there would be no honeymoon for a new administration as its fiat for a better pay deal will continue unabated. 'We are halfway through our historic ballot. Nursing staff are voting yes to striking but also yes to a much bigger call for fairness and justice. A new prime minister and government — of any party — must be ready for that result in November,' said Ms Cullen.