Liz Truss Is Gone, but the Tory Terror Continues
Liz Truss has accelerated the UK’s decline faster than many thought possible. She’s been swiftly disposed of by her own party, but the long-run meltdown of British politics shows little sign of easing.
Liz Truss leaves Downing Street on March 23, 2022 in London, England. (Leon Neal / Getty Images)
When Liz Truss came to power six weeks ago, many understood that she would lead Britain deeper into decline. Few could have predicted just how quickly and how fundamentally she would achieve this.
Despite all the deep tectonic shifts that have helped produce this latest earthquake, it is hard to exaggerate the caprice, incompetence, and obtuse senselessness that have got us here.
The Failed Experiment
In September, Liz Truss inherited a parlous situation. Her party was divided and shaken by the summer crisis that brought down former prime minister Boris Johnson, a figure difficult to replace whatever one thinks of him. An already shaken country was staring down the barrel of energy shocks and inflationary pressures, and the sense of looming uncertainty had been compounded by the death of Britain’s era-defining monarch. Liz Truss decided that the best thing to do with this delicate house of cards was to gleefully shoot a flamethrower at it.
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