UK: UK Prime Minister Liz Truss has fired Finance Minister Kwasi Kwarteng.
British Prime Minister Liz Truss has fired UK Chancellor and Finance Minister Kwasi Kwarteng.
He was fired due to the controversy surrounding his widely panned economic package.
“British Prime Minister Liz Truss has fired her finance minister Kwasi Kwarteng, the BBC reported on Friday, October 14, shortly before she is expected to scrap parts of his economic package in a bid to survive the market and political turmoil gripping the UK.
Downing Street confirmed that Truss, in power for only 37 days, would hold a press conference later on Friday after Kwarteng was forced to rush back to London from IMF meetings in Washington to address the chaos.”
UK Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng confirmed the firing in a tweet on Friday, displaying a letter to the Chancellor accepting her instruction to have him fired.“stand aside”
“YOU HAVE ASKED ME TO STAND ASIDE AS YOUR CHANCELLOR. I HAVE ACCEPTED. WHEN YOU ASKED ME TO SERVE AS YOUR CHANCELLOR, I DID SO IN FULL KNOWLEDGE THAT THE SITUATION WE FACED WAS INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT, WITH RISING GLOBAL INTEREST RATES AND ENERGY PRICES. HOWEVER, YOUR VISION OF OPTIMISM, GROWTH AND CHANGE WAS RIGHT.
AS I HAVE SAID MANY TIMES IN THE PAST WEEKS, FOLLOWING THE STATUS QUO WAS SIMPLY NOT AN OPTION.
FOR TOO LONG THIS COUNTRY HAS BEEN DOGGED BY LOW GROWTH RATES AND HIGH TAXATION – THAT MUST STILL CHANGE IF THIS COUNTRY IS TO SUCCEED.
THE ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT HAS CHANGED RAPIDLY SINCE WE SET OUT THE GROWTH PLAN ON 23 SEPTEMBER. IN RESPONSE, TOGETHER WITH THE BANK OF ENGLAND AND EXCELLENT OFFICIALS AT THE TREASURY WE HAVE RESPONDED TO THOSE EVENTS, AND I COMMEND MY OFFICIALS FOR THEIR DEDICATION.
IT IS IMPORTANT NOW AS WE MOVE FORWARD TO EMPHASISE YOUR GOVERNMENT’S COMMITMENT TO FISCAL DISCIPLINE. THE MEDIUM-TERM FISCAL PLAN IS CRUCIAL TO THIS END, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SUPPORTING YOU AND MY SUCCESSOR TO ACHIEVE THAT FROM THE BACKBENCHES.
WE HAVE BEEN COLLEAGUES AND FRIENDS FOR MANY YEARS. IN THAT TIME. I HAVE SEEN YOUR DEDICATION AND DETERMINATION. I BELIEVE YOUR VISION IS THE RIGHT ONE. IT HAS BEEN AN HONOUR TO SERVE AS YOUR FIRST CHANCELLOR.
YOUR SUCCESS IS THIS COUNTRY’S SUCCESS AND I WISH YOU WELL.”
Kwarteng’s problems arose after he announced a UK economic policy that will reduce the top tax rate from 45% to 40% beginning April 23rd of next year, sending the UK Pound plummeting as investors fled.
The move was criticized because the government did not show how the tax cuts would be funded, implying that new Prime Minister Liz Truss and her Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng were devoid of reality.
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