To be starting to really worry about Liz Truss

[Anothernamechangeplease]

OK, so I'm not a Tory. I hate Boris, and despise the rest of them. I don't hold or much hope of any of them actually doing anything to address the problems that we're currently facing, because I don't think any of them actually give a toss about ordinary people. Of the two candidates that are left in the Tory leadership contest, I would pick Rishi, because I think he has a more realistic understanding of the economic challenges, but obviously, I'm not a party member so I have no say in the matter.

Nevertheless, I have been relatively sanguine and the prospect of Liz Truss as leader, a) because I figured that things couldn't get much worse than the shit show that we have had under Boris, and b) because I am pretty sure that she will be utterly unelectable when it comes to the next general election, so worst case scenario would be that we have another couple of years of crappy Tory government, exacerbated by the cost of living crisis, and then we can be pretty confident of getting shot of them. So, pretty shit all in all, but survivable.

But listening to everything that she is saying she wants to do, to the economic forecasts, and to the analysis from both within and beyond the Tory party, I'm starting to get really very worried. All this talk of huge tax cuts and massive reductions in public spending...I fear that she is going to make the looming economic crisis infinitely worse at a time when we can least afford to risk it. Nearly all economists seem to agree that her plans are going to make things worse, not better.

We are already at breaking point. Public services are on their knees. Businesses are struggling to stay afloat. People both in work and out of work are struggling. The most vulnerable are already having to choose between bare essentials such as eating and heating. Inflation continues to soar, energy prices are going off the scale, interest rates are going up... and she is about to make it worse! We just don't have the resilience in the system to cope with this.

I am actually very worried about what is going to happen. This could be very bad indeed, and a lot of people are going to suffer. If we end up with austerity on steroids in the midst of an unprecedented economic crisis, there will be massive civil unrest, surely?

I completely agree. Brown has absolutely no skin in this game personally. His opinion piece in the Observer this morning is excellent and it would be enormously helpful if other highly respected Labour grandees did the same. I certainly hope Alan Johnson - the best Labour PM we never had - will put his head over the parapet.

The state of politics at the moment on all sides. Where have all the heavy weights from Labour like Brown and Blair gone? The Tories have purged the sensible middle and we're left with current shower.

Not sure I want Blair hanging around he's one of the super elite now. But him and Mandelson keeping a low profile behind the scenes would be no bad thing. Starmer got to be DPP as one of the finest barristers of his generation and ran a great office of the state so he's no slouch and his front bench is firming up nicely. If Andy Burnham and Ed Balls and maybe even David Milliband could be enticed back then we could truly have an A team. Hell I would even invite Teresa back if some useful role could be found. The next government is going to inherit one hell of a car crash so all good talent one would hope would be most welcomed.

I wonder how many Tory party grandees will speak up?

There must still be a lot from before the purge in 2019. Decent Conservatives.

No decent Conservative is going to publicly support this lot.

David Miliband was always a lost opportunity for Labour imo

He speaks sometimes on radio and it reminds me of better Labour times

I'm very worried about Truss. All that crap about no "handouts" for the poor, meaning energy help. She's a naked careerist and on another planet. She'll trash the NHS and worse, and quicker than anyone else.

And a hopeless front person/presenter.

What is interesting is the ground swell voting to put Boris back in the vote by the conservative members

YANBU but I wouldn't worry too much. She only has 1.5 years left until the next election, plus she will have to spend some part of it campaigning for the GE as well, so her time of actually governing isn't that much. If by GE the economy has miraculously recovered, yay we have got through the worse. If not, well she will be kicked out and probably replaced by another party who will try to do things differently.

Not support. Just mention that the Conservative party seem to be slipping more and more to the right.

Hearing Eastbourne members interviewed there were a few

Presenter pointed out members didn’t get rid from of him, MPs did so many won’t feel the same

Sunak getting a hard time from a couple on that issue

Yes to most of this!

Not a Labour fan usually but I want them to win the next election- in fact I’d like them in power now. Because the conservatives have gone completely to shit.
Why did Miliband lose the 2015 election though? We’d had five years of Tory austerity by then? Cameron won with a majority.

Why are you so sure Starmer will win?

That is a relevant point.

Any half-decent opposition party should have comfortably won, even within the constraints of our FPTP system in, 2015. or in 2017. Or even 2019.

Over-confidence is a risk, and we all know whenever Liz, assuming it will be her, decides to call the next GE, that the Lynton Crosby election playbook will be front and centre.

Given the even worse shit-storm ahead a Conservative victory should not even be the faintest possibility, but.............

That said might Liz be the shortest serving PM ever?

George Canning, died in office 1827, holds the record at 119 days.

In the modern era Alec Douglas-Home 1 yr and 1 day when he lost the GE to Harold Wilson.

The latest GE for this parliament is January 2025.

Will Liz go for a snap GE early October this year, before the full force of the next price cap increase becomes really evident to the electorate?

If not after the likely local elections' disaster in May 2023 will the Tory MPs get rid of her and ask their selectorate to try again?

Boris in a skirt! Her 'ally' Mordaunt claimed today that Truss had been 'overinterpreted' as being against 'handouts' - a bit of weasel backpedalling. She wants to cut taxes and not give anyone who needs it help with energy bills or the cost of living. And if she is the creme de la creme of the Tory Party the country is in deep sh*t and we should all emigrate: last one turn out the lights please.

Misinterpreted again?

She really needs to work on her communication skills.

Meanwhile - I see Sunak wants all pupils to study maths and English to 18? I think that critical thinking would be a really good thing for pupils to study.

How can you possibly “overinterprete” (is that even a thing?) something as plain as “Tax cuts, not handouts”? They really do insult our intelligence.

I think John Major has.

So have Michael Heseltine and Ken Clarke.
Even Michael Howard is horrified by the breach of international law with the NI protocol.
It disgusts me that anyone tries to defend them frankly, They wouldn’t get away with it if people weren’t complicit.

Where’s Kier Starmer? Why isn’t he making home runs? He has a golden opportunity to get his labour voters back. He’s sitting on the fence and I don’t understand his position.
The trade unions are even wondering what labour are doing.

Come on labour - get your act together.

Unless Kier doesn’t have a clue what to do- or is keeping his cards close to his chest for the next GE.

William Hague was interviewed on Rory Stewart and Alistair Campbell’s podcast recently and he did not come across as impressed with the current government or Liz Truss. It was a great listen for anyone who’s interested in politics especially if you can remember his stint as leader.