UK PM race: Liz Truss promises 'sunset' for all EU-related regulations by end of 2023

In a bid to stand out in the UK PM race, British Foreign Secretary Elizabeth (Liz) Truss on Friday vowed to scrap all European Union-related laws within 15 months, i.e. roughly by the end of 2023. Regardless of the scale of complexity, Truss launched the campaign, saying that she would ensure the "sunset" of the regulations if she wins the bid to succeed Boris Johnson as the new Tory leader and UK PM as well. According to British media reports, the PM candidate stated she is reluctant to follow the "outdated EU frameworks", and instead wants to seize a "new future" for the UK.

It is to note that Britain in 2019 severed ties with the European Union after 40 years of membership. When London exited the bloc, it brought along a bucketful of EU laws and regulations which still apply after the Brexit agreement.

"EU regulations hinder our businesses and that has to change... In Downing Street, I will seize the chance to diverge from updated EU loss and framework and capitalise on the opportunity we have ahead of us," Truss said in a statement while launching the campaign, TRT World reported.

Notably, Truss, who according to The Guardian, is trying to project herself as the self-styled "Brexit delivery PM" has proposed a timetable that is much faster compared to the Boris Johnson government. However, union leaders and experts warned that the step could become a "bonfire of rights," in the context of civil service cuts. This comes hot on the heels of the UK House of Commons passing a bill to bend provisions of the Northern Ireland Protocol, drawing 4 additional lawsuits from the European Union.

The said developments come as Truss and her colleague-cum-rival Rishi Sunak officially launched their nationwide hustings on Friday. The Conservative leaders outlined their potential plans to take lead in the days leading to the final ballots to become UK PM in September. Nearly 1,60,000 Tory members will vote to choose the successor of Johnson.

'Truss is mental', says Sunak's supporter

Meanwhile, ex-Chancellor Rishi Sunak stood steady on his tax cuts calls, saying that it is the best-fit option to tackle skyrocketing inflation. Calling the rising living costs in the UK "number one challenge", he said that tax cut plans will not be implemented until autumn. He also accused his opponent of making "fairy tale" promises when Truss said her tax reforms will "decrease inflation."

As of now, Sunak's team is drawing up a campaign to strengthen his dialogue on tax cuts and put health services on "war footing" in order to change the "worrisome trend" of low pre-poll votes. As the leaders are looking at six weeks of fierce national hustings, a supporter of Sunak lashed out at Truss calling her "mental". Meanwhile, as UK media reported Sunak's popularity among Tory leaders, YouGov polls on Thursday revealed that Truss in fact was favoured by 68% of party members.

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