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Yet once again, a minuscule percentage of our nation has selected a new prime minister for all of us. To my mind, this should lead us to memories of Harold Macmillan’s great remark: “Here we are, and the question is: where do we go from here?” 

Illustration by R Fresson

Illustration by R Fresson/ Via The Guardian

Today, the Pertinent Question Must Surely Be:

Have neoliberalism and pseudo-nationalism, implemented by the ‘Little Englanders’ swerved our country toward the edge of the precipice, the tragedy that has been unfolding since 4 May 1979 when Thatcher came to power? 

Dear newly-selected Prime Minister Truss,

Congratulations on your ‘selection’ by your Tory members to be our country’s new prime minister. Quite a turn around since that dreaded Brexit, one may say! The fourth Tory prime minister in six years! 

Today our democracy, like never before, is under grave threat. Hard rightwing ideology, populism and neoliberalism have strained and are threatening the fabric of our society, destroying the heart and the soul of the nation, pulling apart our communities, debasing our fundamental values and freedom, separating us from close neighbours, not knowing who’s friend or foe!  

It is not a secret or a surprise to all the people of good will, with an eye on truth, that for quite a very long time now our country has gone astray at so many levels, including spiritually, morally, economically, politically, and ecologically, whilst huge rises in energy costs and food poverty have put millions of UK households at risk of catastrophe, resulting in destitution and avoidable death. 

At this time of spiritual confusion, when our country is in a state of flux, when prime ministers are here today, gone tomorrow, there is no wonder that many of our fellow citizens feel they are at a point of no return. Whilst the minuscule percentage of the potential voters who have selected you might be living on a different planet, the majority of our fellow-citizens are frustrated, angry and in despair. 

They can trust no one, everyone's for themselves. There is a rampant epidemic of corruption at high places. Everything is falling apart. 

We need healing. We need kindness, fairness, justice and transformation. We need leaders to guide us to what it means to be human, taking action in the interest of the common good.

But yet, at this very critical moment, when our country needs to hear a different story with a different set of values, so sadly, you have wrapped yourself in the old, discredited story of Thatcherism                                                                                                                    

And now, despite the fact that Thatcherism is very much an old, obsolete and is irrelevant to our current crisis; you pride yourself to be a Thatcherite, walking in her footsteps. Lest we forget, even the IMF- once a  main cheerleader for Thatcherism has disowned and rubbished it.

Conservative leadership race: How Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss curated their  personal image in their bid for PM

Photo: Getty Images

It is pertinent to remember that, amongst many other tragically ugly consequences, Thatcherism has left the Thatcherites with ‘Sewage on their Hands.’, whilst these dogmatic crusaders have also been instrumental in empowering their friends and supporters to make billions whilst totally stinking and rubbishing our country, putting the nation’s health and wellbeing so dangerously and tragically at risk in the interest of hugely immoral profits, return to shareholders and obnoxious bonuses for the fat cats. What about us, the stakeholders? Do you have anything to say?

Thatcher was the architect of the broken country and the author of a ruthless economic model of despair, fear, hopelessness, pseudo- nationalism and the decline in moral compass, an individual who was the antithesis of healing, kindness, sympathy and empathy.

You and your cheerleaders have spoken about nothing substantial or meaningful, but tax cuts, economic growth, cuts to public services, and suchlike! Given the state of our country, our world, could you not have found anything else to engage us with? 

Anyhow, for your own self-interest, it must not be forgotten that your hero, Thatcher, left office crying her eyes out, after being stabbed in the back by her own so-called ‘Honourable Friends’, a fate not too dissimilar to that of Teresa May and then, Boris Johnson. John Major and David Cameron too did not fare any better either!! 

Again, for the record, tragically for our country, the more I listen to you, the more I read about you, praising Thatcher, the more I am reminded that you are also a modern-day Trumpist!! A man whose ideology  the current President of the US, amongst many, has identified as ‘semi-fascism’. 

Illustration: Bill Bragg, Via The Guardian

'Tories no longer party of Churchill and more the party of Trump'

'Donald Trump's Tory cheerleaders have brought lasting shame on Britain' :Time to Remember, Name and Shame Them

It is worthwhile to remember that, amongst many other crimes that Trump  is currently under investigation in the US,   for ideological reasons and short term propaganda, he cut taxes and in the process  increased the federal deficit by $2tn , bringing misery to many for the benefit of a few. I wonder if this is what is awaiting our country too given your desire for the same discredited plan!!

I do hope that in a couple of years time we would not be writing the same sorts of things about Trussism as we wrote about Trumpism! 

When Mrs. May and Mr. Johnson were selected/elected prime ministers, I wrote them open letters suggesting possible paths for the common good that I hoped they may take to make their premiership more stable and rewarding, as well as for the good of our country.

Albeit they did not, and carried on with their Tory, Thatcherite policies. You don’t need me to remind you of what happened to them!!

I am sure the majority of the good people of our country are extremely disappointed that every couple of years or so,  0.2 percent of the population, around 160,000 Tory members, who are disproportionately old, male, white, southern English and rightwing and increasingly driven by ideology, are called upon to decide the fate of our democracy, selecting the next PM for the rest of us. 

Dear Ms. Truss,

To make your government more stable, and your premiership a bit longer,  I can do no better than share with you the two open letters I had mentioned above:

Dear Prime Minister May-Britain needs a New Economic Model

Boris Johnson: This is How to Become a Force for Good

Finally, I hope for a miracle, a sea change, that somehow, you may see the light and become a voice of vision and hope, by cultivating goodness above greatness and humanity above hatred and division,  transforming and healing our country, making it fairer, kinder, more sympathetic, where we can trust our politicians, and where lives can become good again.

I also sincerely hope that you may become a good friend of our sacred mothers, Earth and Nature.

The time is now for a radical departure from our recent troubled past. Seize this opportunity and stand side by side with progressive people to build a better, kinder, and a more gentle Britain for the good of all. Carpe Diem!

Yours sincerely,

Prof. Kamran Mofid, Founder, Globalisation for the Common Good Initiative (GCGI)

PS: Recently I wrote a goodbye message to Boris Johnson, wishing him well and also reminding him of what can happen to those who are rightwing populist,  idolising Thatcher, telling loads of lies, taking people for granted. Johnson had a kind of a similar fate to that of another untrustworthy person, Donald Trump. To my mind, it is essential that these lessons be learnt by all those in public service. Having your interest and the interest of our country in mind,  below I have noted some of those lessons for your perusal:

Dear Boris, Time to Say Goodbye

Good Riddance to Trump: A Disgraced Man who Never Cultivated Goodness and Humanity