Martin Ivens, Columnist

Tories Must Decide Between Thatcher and Reagan Leadership

Conservatives faces an important economic choice in replacing Boris Johnson. Will Sunak’s tax hikes prevail? Or will they move toward a more optimistic, free-spending candidate?

July 16, 2022 at 5:00 AM UTC

Updated on

July 16, 2022 at 7:57 AM UTC

By Martin Ivens

Martin Ivens is the editor of the Times Literary Supplement. Previously, he was editor of the Sunday Times of London and its chief political commentator.

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Can “Thatcherite candidate” Rishi Sunak win the contest for Tory leadership? Or will his party plump for a rival who follows in the footsteps of the Iron Lady’s great ally, Ronald Reagan? This is not just a question of style or positioning: Herein lies the wider economic choice facing the UK in the years to come.

In their hearts, many Conservatives, especially on the right, want a prime minister who copies Reagan’s optimistic, free-spending ways, not an austere Margaret Thatcher-style leader.