Do you care that Liz Truss had an affair?

[SheSaidHummingbird]

On the one hand, I feel that it's her own business, but on the other, I want a PM I can look up to, who I can trust, who has dignity. After Boris, after his endless lies, Truss doesn't inspire the integrity that I want to see in my country's leader. AIBU?

Yes it bothers me - it would bother me about any MP or PM regardless if they were male or female. If they can lie to that easily to the people in their own personal life they won't give a crap about lying to the rest of us. I can't respect somebody who would do that. To me it says they have no integrity and are inherently self centred.

The neo Puritanism on MN is truly depressing. It’s like reading some Victorian throwback.

Gordon Brown was the best PM we have had in decades. He was flawed, of course, like every other human being on the planet. However, he was highly intelligent, incredibly hardworking and genuinely caring. He led the world in response to the 2008 crash, and he has donated vast sums of money to charity since leaving public office.

I wish we had someone of that calibre in office now, with such difficult times ahead.

Yes it is. I thought only the US were like this about their politicians. Clinton - very effective politician, but also, a shagger.

Seriously, Hitler was a teetotal vegetarian, Churchill was an alcoholic, Roosevelt an adulterer. Look at what people do, not their personal lives.

I do care because to me if she can lie and cheat her own family who she is supposed to love then how can I expect her to not lie and cheat the general public who she doesn't know/love care about personally?

Im assuming she took an oath when she married to "forsake all others" and I assume that when she becomes prime minister she'll have to also do similar. She's proved she lies so what would make me think she's not lie being prime minister?! If she didn't live her husband anymore and felt she'd rather be with someone else she should've ended her marriage imo.

Brown seems like a political giant compared to who came after.

But the writing was on the wall when he called that women bigoted. It set the tone of the country for the next decade and counting.

The fact that she thinks it good counsel to diss Macron publically and weaponise our relationship with one of our biggest trading partners China despite having been Foreign Secretary makes me very afraid. She is a hugely ambitious idiot full of sound and fury and signifying nothing. Events will destroy her but not before she has destroyed much that Johnson and covid already have already weakened. Continuity Johnson without the fading empty charm is a truly frightening prospect.

The depressing thing about the Labour Party is that after Gillian Duffy and Brexit, they still haven't learned that calling someone a bigot will not win them over to your point of view but actually have the opposite effect.

And now they are calling people bigots for not believing that women can have penises, of all things, which means that Liz Truss can probably do whatever the hell she likes.

All politicians are flawed because they are people too. You are basically saying that no one can do politics. We have all lied at some point in our lives. Here are some flawed people who did the top job.

John Major - had an affair
Boris Johnson - still having them, allegedly
Lloyd George - met prostitutes
Anthony Eden - problems with amphetimines
Churchill - alcohol problems
Thatcher - alcohol

I care in the fact that she has a track record of lying, and getting rid of an untrustworthy layer was the point of getting rid of BJ, not to replacing him with another inept female clone.
I don't care who she sleeps with or the ins and outs of her personal life except when it interferes with her job. As her affairs have tended to be in the workplace that's not going to help.
The same goes for any workplace as soon as those affairs cause issues then it becomes a problem for the job whether you are in an office in a small town or if you are in one of the most important offices in the country.

I agree that all politicians will have flaws.

Have never heard of Thatcher having had an alcohol problem though. You learn something new every day!

Whilst I don't see why someone's sexual past should necessarily preclude you from becoming PM, I can't exactly say that she would be my choice to lead a sing-song, let alone run the country.

If she can lie and cheat on her husband then she will lie and cheat on the country. Plus she is as thick as pig shit and her opinions change according to her audience.
Her main talent is avoiding answering the question by praising Boris and slagging off Sadiq khan, Nicola sturgeon and keir starmer

Rishi has been open and honest

Rishi Sunak? The same Rishi Sunak who, just off the top of my head...

Lied about the "brexit benefit" of free ports.

Made false claims that the number of people in poverty has fallen due to the actions of his Govt.

Is trying to lay blame for his Govts appalling handling of the covid crisis at the feet of scientists and experts.

Has pledged to "protect the vulnerable" but was filmed bragging about taking money out of deprived urban areas to invest in wealthier parts of the country.

Falsely tried to claim that his wife's choice to retain her non-dom status for tax purposes was the only way she could keep her Indian citizenship.

Repeated Boris's lies about hiring 50,000 new nurses even after Boris had already been forced to admit it was a lie!

He was even caught lying about bloody McDonald's, oh and then there was the cringeworthy attempt to make himself look relatable by borrowing a supermarket workers car for a photo op.

But yeah, honest as the day is long that one.

Lord, let us go back to the days where we didn't chummily refer to politicians (who'd wipe their boots on our backs) by their first name.

Yes, I care. I think that if you can lie to your partner, then you can lie to your party and the country.
This is news to me and would dissuade me from voting for her although I don't have a vote

I'm really struggling here - what do you think politicians did in the past? They aren't different from Truss really, all of them work their public image to be favourable, quite a lot of them (like the general public) will have affairs, many will drink too much (like the general public) and not a few will have drug problems. These are personal, wouldn't anyone want to have a personal life.

Here are few others who aren't totally as they seemed-

Harold Wilson - man of the people who pretended to smoke a pipe. Actually preferred brandy and cigars but that was not the correct image.

Boris Johnson - calculated scruffy image to appeal to voters; notable that he can brush his hair and getting a fitting suit when he thinks is someone important (ie not voters).

Tony Blair - mockney accent to take away from those public school vowels.

I cannot get worried about Truss and her sex life. Assuming that everyone is a consenting adult, who cares? That won't make her any more deceptive than any other politician.

Her husband (you know, the person she actually cheated on) obviously cares less than you do. 🤷‍♀️

He could be dynamite in bed for all we know. He must be good for something?

The important thing to take from this … she has experienced life and far less likely to be judgmental about others - affairs happen - but can strengthen a marriage - there are many judgmental people on this message board - I’d trust them less and trust Liz Truss an experienced politician - Truss(t) Liz!!!

she has experienced life and far less likely to be judgmental about others

Adorable that you'd think that.

Appreciate that the liberal/socialists are invading bulletin boards with a view to spreading discontent about Liz Truss before she’s even started -
its all about trying to create the idea of sleaze where there is no sleaze … at a time and an opportunity for the country and its people to pull together due to a war event which is causing global destruction -

both Labour and the Libdems want power and they don’t care who they smear on the road to power grabbing YET Neither are thinking of the people just about their own rewards if they can discredit Conservative minded people - negative thoughts by association - thus unfashionable to support the tories - power grabbing by deception!

Still think partyygate was real? Boris still got on in caretaker mode and the Liberal/Socialist crowd backed off - no political capital in putting the boot into someone you’ve already successfully (and falsely) conspired against -

ADMIRABLE though that you thought that planting a question about Liz Truss and her integrity might deceive both women and mothers on Mumsnet (ha)!

I think not for anyone in politics thinking they can deceive the sisterhood and sneer at those with independent minds - THINK ON!!!

@illicitinkling "........affairs happen - but can strengthen a marriage......"

Really ? How ?

Agree on this and Truss is terrible, wants to cut tax for the wealthiest, no real plan for the cost of energy, a hard core remainer who turned brexitier and anti european to boot.

Her latest plan is to increase defence spending to 3% of GDP, which will cost 150 billion... money that will come from, ironically, tax rises! or spending cuts... yes Lizzie, our public services can certain manage 150billion in cuts & we can all afford to pay extra.

both Labour and the Libdems want power and they don’t care who they smear on the road to power grabbing YET Neither are thinking of the people just about their own rewards if they can discredit Conservative minded people - negative thoughts by association - thus unfashionable to support the tories - power grabbing by deception

If that were true, they wouldn't have joined the LD's or Labour, the surest way to get into political power, is to become a Conservative.

Who you ve actually described brilliantly is Boris Johnson and indeed Liz Truss, both of whom changed life long held views to get into Power.