Former British prime minister Elizabeth Truss on Saturday pitched for bringing the "best of reforms", fixing some arrangement in the "powerful bureaucracy" in the United Kingdom and creating a movement akin to the one in the US that led to "big changes" there.
"Frankly, I think we need a British Trump. The question is who that individual might be," she said and cited US President-elect Donald Trump's "MAGA" (Make America Great Again) movement.
During an interaction session at the HT Leadership Summit 2024 in New Delhi, Truss also said India has a "huge role" to play in the "future of geopolitics" as the world's largest democracy.
Truss, who served as the British prime minister for just 49 days in 2022, was asked about the ties between India and the UK amid changing geopolitical situations.
"I think where we are now is a very positive relationship. I really hope that we get the trade deal over the line. The UK and India have so much to benefit from each other in areas like technology, defence, agriculture. I think there are huge opportunities," she said.
But also, India is now the world's largest country by population and the world's largest democracy. It has a "huge leadership role to play in the future. And I think it is incredibly exciting", she added.
On the India-UK free-trade agreement, Truss said it is "absolutely a relationship of equals", adding that both parties will have to make concessions in order to get a trade deal done.
She also emphasised that India's role in the Quad is "very important with respect to the United States, the UK and Japan, "particularly, as we see, a rising threat of China taking place".
During the conversation, the former British prime minister took a critical view of the European economy and said "our continent is sinking".
Citing the GDP per capita in the UK, she lamented that it is below the corresponding figure in the US.
Truss also said some arrangement in the British bureaucracy "needs to be fixed" and that she would like to see the "best of reforms".
"So what I am interested in, how can we create that movement, a bit like the 'MAGA' movement or the tea-party movement in the US that led to the big changes we are seeing. Frankly, I think we need a British Trump. The question is who that individual might be," she said.
Asked by the host whether she would want to play that role, the former prime minister gave a response with a dry sense of humour.
"I have already put my fingers in the fire and had them severely burnt, but that is the type of approach that we now need to get the change in Britain," she said. -- PTI
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