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?

[Anothernamechangeplease]

@apintortwo

All this talk of huge tax cuts and massive reductions in public spending

There must be opportunities to reduce public spending in the right areas surely?

Increase spending on the NHS, Police, Defense and essential education.

What else is essential?

There may well be opportunities to reduce spending in some areas, though many public services are already struggling and won't be able to tolerate any further cuts.

The concern is that it's an ideological goal that will be pursued without reference to the likely impact of the cuts. We have seen this before from the Tories with disastrous consequences, and it looks like we're going to go down that route again.

[Anothernamechangeplease]

@apintortwo

if there are opportunities to save money in the public sector then use that newly found money to improve public services. Don’t use it to give tax cuts while public services go to shit. That’s bonkers

You can do both

How?

What exactly would you cut, and how much do you think it would save?

It's easy to talk about making cutbacks. Not so easy to deal with the unintended consequences of those cutbacks.

[DonNotKeith]

I'm even more worried by her severe lack of diplomacy.

Her weirdly aggressive one liners could bring us to a third world war.

[EuripidesEumenides]

@ArseInTheCoOpWindow it was Mordaunt that had Leadsom lined up for Chancellor. Truss hasn't said who she would appoint yet.

[ArseInTheCoOpWindow]

Oh!! Near enough😁all hateful.

[Anothernamechangeplease]

@DonNotKeith

I'm even more worried by her severe lack of diplomacy.

Her weirdly aggressive one liners could bring us to a third world war.

I agree, she's very loose with her tongue.

[CallOfTheMild]

She's coming across as a fucking lunatic, the more I read about her.

[ChristinaXYZ]

The misogyny on this thread is awful. Why is she thicker than Rishi when she got into Oxford from a state school whilst he swanned in from a top public school? Why discuss her sex life? Weirdos. - But then Labour is the party of the misogynist (woman leader? - not only do they not win they usually come last in any vote). Labour hates women, standing back whilst Luciana Berger and Rosie Duffield amongst others are bullied. Over-looking Yvette Cooper who would have been so much more effective than either Corbyn or the much lauded Andy Burnham as an opposition leader.

I have voted Labour often though I am not a member (nor of any other party). I will vote for the Tories if Liz Truss wins though.

People don't join the Tories to be nasty or selfish but because they think the whole country is better off under a free market system. Lower tax is what a free market system is about - she's hardly thowing any surprises. If you are working, you'll have more money. She will also keep the triple lock for pensions. That's huge swathes of the country better off already.

The civil service is shambles - many people working hard but it seems on hamster wheels going no where. It needs someone effective to kick it up the backside not more money. Liz Truss got Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe very quickly released once she was Foreign Secretary, moving all the blockages that were stopping the payment of that debt etc. I have high hopes she can do the same with simpler things like the passport office and DVLA (surely dealing with them is easier than dealing with Iran). The NHS needs lots of reform too - stupid things like doctors retiring earlier because of pension rules could be quickly changed by someone efficient.

I think Rishi wants to become PM because he wants to be PM. I think Liz actually wants to do stuff when she gets there. I think Starmer stands for even less than Rishi. I voted for Kinnock and then Blair because the Tories under Major had stopped being effective and could not get anything sensible done and were repeatedly missing the point as society changed. Starmer is just like Major I think. If Liz does not get the top job I'll be disappointed as I think she will actually do stuff to improve the country.

I actually feel more optimistic than I have done for awhile. Maybe OP you should have more of an open mind and wait and see what she does?

[ArseInTheCoOpWindow]

I don’t think it’s about misogyny though. It’s about her being useless, inept and scary. Irrespective of gender.

[GoldenOmber]

I am choosing to believe she can’t possibly be as stupid as she’s coming across. The alternative is just too miserable to consider.

[MarshaBradyo]

I will vote for the Tories if Liz Truss wins though.

Interesting post Christina but just asking re this - would you not vote for Cons if Truss didn’t win?

I think she will though, nearly everyone has backed her now

[Icecreamclassic]

@ArseInTheCoOpWindow

I don’t think it’s about misogyny though. It’s about her being useless, inept and scary. Irrespective of gender.

I actually find her misogynistic, as Margaret Thatcher was IMO

[Mousemat25]

I’m interested to see how the polling data changes on her appointment. I think the Tories will have less chance of being successful under her. She is so unelectable. And her policies are shit. A large party of people that voted Tories did so as they liked Boris’s jovial man of the people schtick. She won’t even have that.

[ChristinaXYZ]

It is absolutely about misogyny @ArseInTheCoOpWindow the way she is being talked about on here (who shags... etc). She is a little odd in delivery but being slick does not make you a good PM. I have seen no concrete reason given for her with being inept or 'scary' (Scary - seriously? How old are we?)

It is horrible to think of being scared by politicians but people on here seem to be gleefully whipping themselves into a frenzy of hate with little evidence. Above they are also harder on Liz than Rishi (who criticised her tax cutting then said he'd take income tax down to 16%!) which again has the misogyny showing.

Seriously, if people don't want to be thought woman-hating they should leave her looks and relationship alone and hold her to the same standards as the men, not higher ones.

If people don't want to be thought playground bullies they should lay off the way she speaks. (or look it another way, speaking a little oddly perhaps she had to be better than the men (both Rishi and Starmer) to get where she is?)

[Rummikub]

@Anothernamechangeplease

This is a very depressing thought.

I imagine they’re trying yo
lose on purpose and then rewrite the narrative.

Truss has also said she will get rid of remaining EU legislation. I worry about employment rights and human rights.

[ArseInTheCoOpWindow]

But people always talked about Boris shagging everyone. I would talk about them in the same way.

Theure both immoral, greedy, and dangerous. Irrespective of sex.

[MarshaBradyo]

@Mousemat25

I’m interested to see how the polling data changes on her appointment. I think the Tories will have less chance of being successful under her. She is so unelectable. And her policies are shit. A large party of people that voted Tories did so as they liked Boris’s jovial man of the people schtick. She won’t even have that.

Around July 10 looks the biggest gap in polls but it’s now closing. Hard to know what will happen next though

[ChristinaXYZ]

@Icecreamclassic

I actually find her misogynistic, as Margaret Thatcher was IMO

Another evidence-free swipe. Why mention Thatcher of all the politicians? Oh, she's a woman!? And we hate women right?

Dear God... listen to yourselves. I worry for the country when I read threads like this.

[ShepherdMoons]

She strikes me as the type of person who would be bloody minded despite the glaringly obvious in front of her.

Yes, I am concerned, very concerned. I think Rishi is more grounded in reality which is ironic since he has millions in the bank.

We really need a general election, I would vote for Starmer given the choice. Can't stand Angela Rayner though, really not great.

[Echobelly]

YANBU, she is clueless and a terrible person to manage the inevitable crisis that's coming. Unfortunately she's pretty much a shoo-in with a few hundred thousand elderly Tories who also don't seem to know or care what's on the horizon.

[feistyoneyouare]

Totally agree. And as far as I am concerned, this kind of thing is why I will always believe the system needs to change so that a Prime Minister's departure automatically triggers a general election. As things stand, we look set to head into another period of Thatcherite rhetoric and only those who already lean to the right (many of whom I think would actively welcome another period of Thatcherite rhetoric) will get a say. It's utter madness.

[ShepherdMoons]

And my feelings about Liz Truss have nothing to do with her being a woman. It's more about her seeming off her rockers. I thought the same about Boris. No misogyny there.

[GoldenOmber]

I have seen no concrete reason given for her with being inept

Honestly? It was only a couple of days ago that she misrepresented her own policy on public sector pay, blamed the media, then u-turned on the whole thing anyway. Her plans to tackle the cost of living crisis look like tinkering round the edges.

I don’t care what she looks like or how she talks or who she shags. But given the economic crisis we are hurtling towards, I’d really really like it if we could have a PM who’s gone beyond a doodles-on-the-back-of-the-envelope stage of planning on how to deal with it.

[Anothernamechangeplease]

@ChristinaXYZ

The misogyny on this thread is awful. Why is she thicker than Rishi when she got into Oxford from a state school whilst he swanned in from a top public school? Why discuss her sex life? Weirdos. - But then Labour is the party of the misogynist (woman leader? - not only do they not win they usually come last in any vote). Labour hates women, standing back whilst Luciana Berger and Rosie Duffield amongst others are bullied. Over-looking Yvette Cooper who would have been so much more effective than either Corbyn or the much lauded Andy Burnham as an opposition leader.

I have voted Labour often though I am not a member (nor of any other party). I will vote for the Tories if Liz Truss wins though.

People don't join the Tories to be nasty or selfish but because they think the whole country is better off under a free market system. Lower tax is what a free market system is about - she's hardly thowing any surprises. If you are working, you'll have more money. She will also keep the triple lock for pensions. That's huge swathes of the country better off already.

The civil service is shambles - many people working hard but it seems on hamster wheels going no where. It needs someone effective to kick it up the backside not more money. Liz Truss got Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe very quickly released once she was Foreign Secretary, moving all the blockages that were stopping the payment of that debt etc. I have high hopes she can do the same with simpler things like the passport office and DVLA (surely dealing with them is easier than dealing with Iran). The NHS needs lots of reform too - stupid things like doctors retiring earlier because of pension rules could be quickly changed by someone efficient.

I think Rishi wants to become PM because he wants to be PM. I think Liz actually wants to do stuff when she gets there. I think Starmer stands for even less than Rishi. I voted for Kinnock and then Blair because the Tories under Major had stopped being effective and could not get anything sensible done and were repeatedly missing the point as society changed. Starmer is just like Major I think. If Liz does not get the top job I'll be disappointed as I think she will actually do stuff to improve the country.

I actually feel more optimistic than I have done for awhile. Maybe OP you should have more of an open mind and wait and see what she does?

Have an open mind? While the economy tanks, public services grind to a halt and the poorer and more vulnerable are completely fucked over? Thanks, but I'm not interested in seeing how this experiment plays out.

Yes, I'll pay less tax under Truss, but that's cold comfort when the rest of the country is crumbling around me. Things are bad enough already, and they're about to get a whole lot worse.

[ChristinaXYZ]

@MarshaBradyo

I will vote for the Tories if Liz Truss wins though.

Interesting post Christina but just asking re this - would you not vote for Cons if Truss didn’t win?

I think she will though, nearly everyone has backed her now

Thinking about it more carefully with Rishi - I'd have to see exactly what Rishi did - as he has completely contradicted himself so far on tax. And whether some of the managerial issue like the mess of the NHS and civil service were getting sorted. I can't see myself voting for Starmer. Not sure what I'll do if I don't like what Rishi does and he is PM.

Thing is, it is the likes of me, a floating voter who voted for Kinnock and Blair that Labour need to win over. And they just are not. as an opposition they have been useless. And I do really believe Labour has a women problem, I don't know if it is a hang over from Unions days or what, but you can see it all through the professed Labour support in this thread.