Prime Minster Liz Truss must follow a prudent path

Politicians can get re-elected by telling voters what they want to hear.This means that decisions often have short-term objectives so that essential long-term matters are neglected.Yet at the same time electorates can come to distrust representatives who are 'all things to all men' and to admire leaders who seem braver.By moving from her government's ill prepared budget of September 23, which tried to draw applause for tax cuts, to yesterday's Tory conference speech, in which she promised to make "difficult but necessary" economic choices for the UK, Ms Truss was trying to look more a bold leader than a crowd pleaser.Her attacks on trade unions and "Brexit-deniers" was a further bid to present herself in the mould of Margaret Thatcher, who succeeded not just because she seemed tough but because her opponents looked radical and unpatriotic.After her u-turn on the plan to abolish the 45% top rate of income tax, Ms Truss did not have many options yesterday. But the 1980s/90s and the success of Tony Blair, showed that voters really do admire governments whom they deem financially competent.While Labour will mostly win most public support on issues such as health, Tories tend to do so on the economy. Ms Truss needs not just to say the right words, but follow a prudent path.