Henry McDonald: Unionists should tread very carefully over trust in Liz Truss

Never mind the ‘Protocol’ or ‘Northern Ireland’, Ms Truss didn’t even reference the unity of the UK in the face of Scottish separatism or ongoing demands by Irish nationalists for a border poll in her opening address as PM-in-waiting.

It might be a bit premature for unionists to read too much into this omission however.

She appeared after all to be speaking primarily to the Conservative Party base which had just elected her their leader.

Given that the margin between Ms Truss and her rival Rishi Sunak was tighter than expected — 57% to 43% — perhaps her earliest priority was to balm the wounds within the party caused by such a prolonged, bruising 12-round bout over the summer.

Her wider message to the entire nation will inevitably take place after she flies down from Scotland later today after meeting the Queen on her Balmoral estate.

Outside the door of 10 Downing Street Liz Truss will set out her stall for the next few crucial months of her premiership when the whole of the UK stares into a winter of chilling energy price hikes, rampant inflation and general economic uncertainty.

The new prime minister’s response specifically to the cost-of-living/energy crisis will make or break her.

It is no secret that Liz Truss was the DUP’s preferred candidate. As foreign secretary in the last cabinet she argued for Article 16 to be triggered and the workings of the Northern Ireland Protocol suspended (albeit temporarily) in the face of Brussels refusing to renegotiate the post-Brexit agreement.

Rishi Sunak on the other hand argued successfully against deploying Article 16, pointing out that such a move would provoke a trade war with the EU.

By contrast, Ms Truss piloted the legislation enabling her government to overturn the protocol through its early stages in the House of Commons.

She also enjoyed the backing of the anti-EU European Research Group, some of whose members have privately warned her against bending to Brussels in any new round talks or diluting the NI Protocol Bill, which will undoubtedly get a rough ride in the House of Lords.

Before unionists rejoice at the Truss triumph they should remember the warnings from history. Much has been made of Ms Truss being the third female prime minister, all of them Tories.

During the leadership battle she emphasised her admiration for the first woman premier, Margaret Thatcher.

The Iron Lady entered office in 1979 with a reputation for being an instinctive, robust unionist once asserting that Northern Ireland was as British as her Finchley constituency.

In 1983 Mrs Thatcher caused consternation in Dublin by dismissing with an “Out, Out, Out” the recommendations for constitutional change on the island contained in Taoiseach Garret Ftizgerald’s ‘New Ireland Forum.’

Just two years later she and Dr Fitzgerald signed the Anglo-Irish Agreement granting Dublin an overseeing role in the running of Northern Ireland.

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