back to article Liz Truss ousted as UK prime minister, outlived by online lettuce

The analogy was first drawn by august finance journal The Economist, which said the shelf-life of a lettuce was longer than Liz Truss's period with any actual political power as British Prime Minister, after she "blew up her own government with a package of unfunded tax cuts and energy-price guarantees on September 23." Then …

  1. Pete 2 Silver badge

    If a mistake is bad enough ...

    > repeating the process through which it selected Truss

    ... it's worth repeating.

    1. Korev Silver badge
      Trollface

      Re: If a mistake is bad enough ...

      Her election campaign lasted longer than her tenure as Prime Minister...

    2. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

      Re: If a mistake is bad enough ...

      Since BJ is front runner to replace her, and will inevitably soon fall to some sex/finance scandal - I'm beginning to think somebody missed a break; condition

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Coat

        Re: If a mistake is bad enough ... Terry's solution

        As Terry Pratchett suggested in The Last Continent, the thing to do is to throw the Prime Minister in prison as soon as they are elected.

      2. Schultz
        Facepalm

        BJ is front runner to replace her

        I guess he is jealous because she broke a national record and he didn't.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: BJ is front runner to replace her

          He was the first prime minister to break the law in post. That's a record.

          1. Stork Silver badge

            Re: BJ is front runner to replace her

            First to be found out

      3. GruntyMcPugh Silver badge

        Re: If a mistake is bad enough ...

        There's probably a super-injunction preventing BJ's worst indiscretions from being published. Allegedly. Ahem.

      4. Loyal Commenter Silver badge

        Re: If a mistake is bad enough ...

        Is he though? Raving fruit loops like Doris and Re-smog and whoever that guy who was hanging around in the lobby of The House yesterday might be very vocally supporting him, but he needs the support of 100 MPs to get on the ballot, and the word is (or so I have read) that he may well have fewer than 25 MPs supporting him.

        Of course, if he does get on the ballot, and somehow get re-elected, there are also rumours that there is a group of MPs who would split from the Conservative Party if this were to happen. That would lose the Conservatives their majority in the House of Commons, so they'd be trying to operate as a minority government. I can't see any path there that doesn't lead to a general election, and the Tories are currently polling at 30 or more points behind Labour, the latest poll to be published puts them on 14% to Labour's 53%.

        Of course there are always provisions; that poll was commissioned by GB news, which is hardly a reliable and unbiased outfit, so it could well be open to people gaming it, and Labour historically have been over-represented in opinion polls compared to the result when votes are actually cast. However, the meta-polling is more reliable, and almost as damning, and that would be one hell of a new-leader bounce for the Tories not to be all but wiped out in the next election. The most recent predictions from Electoral Calculus have the SNP as the party in opposition, with the Tories in third place. This is, of course, an artefact of the appalling first-past-the-post system, but the Tories only have themselves to blame for continuing to support (and promote) that anti-democratic system.

        Truss's approval ratings might have been in the drain, but Johnson's weren't exactly positive when he was forced out. The public reaction is much more likely to be "once bitten, twice shy," than "oh goody, more Boris please".

        Of course, there are still some crazies about parroting "bring Boris back". You see them pop up on the comments on YouGov polls (themselves a right-wing venture, created by a Tory MP), to a flurry of downvotes and very sparse up-votes. Shouting it loudly doesn't make it public opinion, just like chanting "high growth economy" doesn't make one appear from thin air, as Truss has discovered. Time to put away the magical thinking, methinks, and follow the examples of what works; grow an economy by strategically investing during a recession, not by cutting taxes for the rich, and swiping the ground out from under the feet of the working poor, who are the actual foundation of a functioning economy (because they spend their earnings on essentials, and don't extract the money from the economy by squirrelling it away in tax havens).

        We're due a Labour government soon. Probably not soon enough, and they'll have a hell of a job to repair the damage 12 years of Tory austerity cuts, pork barrels, corruption and incompetence have done, but hopefully things will stop getting worse.

        The only glint of light here, is that those who have screwed up so badly are the hardcore brexiters, and with any luck their demise will also signal the end of that shit-show as well.

        1. codejunky Silver badge

          Re: If a mistake is bad enough ...

          @Loyal Commenter

          "We're due a Labour government soon. Probably not soon enough, and they'll have a hell of a job to repair the damage 12 years of Tory austerity cuts, pork barrels, corruption and incompetence have done, but hopefully things will stop getting worse."

          You have a lot of faith there. I cant see labour undoing any of those except the 'austerity' which existed in name only so business as usual (more spending). I dont see any of them offering anything of any good.

    3. NewModelArmy

      Re: If a mistake is bad enough ...

      Here is how the German media reported the chaos in Parliament last night about the voting for fracking.

      If you don't speak German, don't worry, it is worth the 13 second wait.

      https://twitter.com/ProMediaRes1/status/1583060519908696066

      1. Michael Hoffmann Silver badge

        Re: If a mistake is bad enough ...

        Not to nitpick, but she was quoting the supposed statement from one of the Tory whips during that final fracking fracas. She says so, too. A lot of the Twitter comments also seem to miss that (except those who actually speak German and so go the full context).

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: If a mistake is bad enough ...

          that's not the point, the point is the shitstorm. Which would be funny if it wasn't a scene from the Titanic. Which it is. And we're the passangers on deck, while 'they' are those fighting to control the only lifeboat :/

          1. Loyal Commenter Silver badge

            Re: If a mistake is bad enough ...

            We'd be lucky to be on deck, it's predicted that this winter, metaphorically speaking (as I often do), about half of the population will be the ones locked down in steerage, drowning.

      2. veti Silver badge

        Re: If a mistake is bad enough ...

        That... deserves a place alongside "the reply given in Arkell v Pressdram" among ways to be rude without falling foul of censors.

      3. I am David Jones
        Headmaster

        Re: If a mistake is bad enough ...

        Despite living in Germany a while, I still can’t gauge how offensive English swear words are to Germans. Certainly they don’t baulk at f and s words in songs on the radio.

        And ‘shitstorm’ seems to be widely accepted and it always makes me chuckle when I see it as a huge headline on the front page of a serious paper :)

        1. MyffyW Silver badge

          Re: If a mistake is bad enough ...

          I think there is much to be said for Shitstorm, a sort of precursor event for a Clusterfsck. But my favourite descriptive word for this autumn's events has to be Cockwomblery

          1. Dacarlo

            Re: If a mistake is bad enough ...

            I've always been partial to a good Omnishambles.

          2. Loyal Commenter Silver badge

            Re: If a mistake is bad enough ...

            The current neologism is "Trussterfuck"

        2. Stork Silver badge

          Re: If a mistake is bad enough ...

          My experience is that expletives in foreign languages rarely feel as offensive as ones in your native language, it is hard to pick up the emotional reaction.

          Even more as there are different ideas of how offensive things are internationally, the English speaking world find procreation more repelling than excretion (it seems), in Danish or German not so much.

        3. Trigonoceps occipitalis

          Re: If a mistake is bad enough ...

          i once worked on a committee with a German. He was married to a Canadian and thus spoke English well. He had a strong German accent over laid with a veneer of Canadian English. He also well understood English idiom - those who didn't know him were always surprised by "Ve Vill give them ze whole nine yards!"

    4. JoeCool Bronze badge
      FAIL

      Re: If a mistake is bad enough ...

      So .... are you implying the conservative party is not competent to vote for their own leader ?

      1. James O'Shea

        Re: If a mistake is bad enough ...

        He's implying that Tories aren't competent.

        He's correct.

        1. Evil Auditor Silver badge
          Thumb Up

          Re: If a mistake is bad enough ...

          Totally agree.

          Tories, though, are not unrivelled in their incompetence. Just to name one Corbyn and I could mention more of them, too.

          1. Mooseman Silver badge

            Re: If a mistake is bad enough ...

            "Tories, though, are not unrivelled in their incompetence. Just to name one Corbyn "

            Corbyn was never in government - that may be a good or bad thing, depending on your point of view - but anything he said or did is irrelevant compared to the imbecilic (if I'm being generous) or malevolent (if I'm not) activities of the tories.

            1. CJatCTi

              Re: If a mistake is bad enough ...

              Corbyn did achive one thing - without him Boris wouldn't have achived such a majority.

              A favour that is to be returned to the Labour party at the next election, where they will win, not because of who they are but who they are not.

              1. Stork Silver badge

                Re: If a mistake is bad enough ...

                Nothing new.

                Oppositions don’t win elections, governments loose them.

                1. Loyal Commenter Silver badge
                  Headmaster

                  Re: If a mistake is bad enough ...

                  Cry Havoc, and let loose the elections of war!

                  Grammar Pedantry: I think you may have meant lose

                  1. Trigonoceps occipitalis

                    Re: If a mistake is bad enough ...

                    He meant "slip".

                    "Cry 'Havoc!', and let slip the dogs of war."

                    Mark Antony in Act 3, Scene 1, line 273 of William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar.

                    1. Loyal Commenter Silver badge

                      Re: If a mistake is bad enough ...

                      Yes, well, so oft misquoted it has become de-facto canon. The fact remains that loosing is something you do with the hounds in a Monty-Burns fashion, and losing is that thing that Donald Trump is really bad at.

              2. old_n_grey

                Re: If a mistake is bad enough ...

                "Corbyn did achive one thing - without him Boris wouldn't have achived such a majority."

                There is an alternate viewpoint that highlights the only real difference between 2017 (when Labour made gains) and 2019 (when they lost loads. Despite achieving a higher percentage of the vote than in 2010 & 2015 they won fewer seats).

                Seems the shadow Brexit Secretary decided that Remain would be an option on a 2nd referendum. The result was that 46 of the 47 English seats that Labour lost, the so-called Red Wall, had all voted Leave.

                But I guess as party leader Corbyn should take the blame, mainly for not telling the shadow BS to STFU.

                Daft really as history has shown that the shadow BS is happy to renege on any commitments made during an election!

                1. Anonymous Coward
                  Anonymous Coward

                  Re: If a mistake is bad enough ...

                  As a former resident in one of those red wall seats that fell… Racist Britain is alive and well. The folks that put a lettuce in charge over Rishi demonstrated that, as did the red wall on the Brexit vote.

                  Labour shortages used to be addressed by immigration. Tory voters have made this place so unappealing and offensive to immigrants, so funnily enough, we now have a shortage.

                  If moving labour from useless red tape and administrative jobs into productive primary and secondary industries is the goal (It should be, to improve productivity) we have to do an awful long way to go to undo 40 years of the School of Thatcher.

            2. This post has been deleted by its author

            3. Anonymous Coward
              Anonymous Coward

              Re: If a mistake is bad enough ...

              he was never in government, thanks God we never found out.

            4. Evil Auditor Silver badge

              Re: If a mistake is bad enough ...

              You've got a point there. If the Tories continue with the exponentially increasing incompetence of party leaders, the next prime minister will likely be a fucking ixodida (although, that does sound a bit unfair towards ticks).

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: If a mistake is bad enough ...

        They have plenty of recent experience so should be seasoned pros by now.

      3. R Soul Silver badge

        Re: If a mistake is bad enough ...

        are you implying the conservative party is not competent to vote for their own leader ?

        The evidence for that is compelling, given the last three they picked. And the next one.

        1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

          Re: If a mistake is bad enough ...

          The first of the last the three they didn't actually pick - the committee managed to arrange that there wouldn't be a divisive Brexit themed vote around Theresa May

      4. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: If a mistake is bad enough ...

        the conservative party is not competent

        I think you could have ended the sentence right there, really.

      5. MyffyW Silver badge

        Re: If a mistake is bad enough ...

        The Conservative Party have been the governing party of Britain for the greater part of the last century:

        During this period the country has fallen in stature, both comparative and absolute, by virtually every criterion of measurement which can be applied

        - Sleeve notes to Alan Clark's The Tories

      6. Lars Silver badge
        Coat

        Re: If a mistake is bad enough ...

        The problem is that there are no competent leaders to vote for.

        1. codejunky Silver badge

          Re: If a mistake is bad enough ...

          @Lars

          My issue is I cant think of any politician at the moment who is worth voting for and unless something changes soon there wont be anything worth voting for come a GE

        2. R Soul Silver badge

          Re: If a mistake is bad enough ...

          "The problem is that there are no competent leaders to vote for."

          That lettuce is worth a punt. It beat cheesemonger Liz. Which admittedly doesn't say much. And I'm fairly sure the lettuce won't royally fuck up the economy or our cheese exports within days of becoming prime minister.

          That lettuce is likely to be far smarter than the combined intelligence(?) of the Tory party.

    5. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: If a mistake is bad enough ...

      The only thing that would have bettered this, would have been if the lettuce had been grown on Jeremy Corbyn's allotment. He missed a trick there. Wrong season, I suppose, but I'm sure on hearing about this, it made him smile.

      1. Loyal Commenter Silver badge

        Re: If a mistake is bad enough ...

        You may be surprised to hear it, but lettuces do very well as a winter crop, as long as they're protected from a hard frost and the ground isn't frozen, and if you'd planted a seedling a month ago, it would be doing much better than any Tory MP right now...

        Which reminds me, I really do need to sow some for this winter...

    6. jgarbo
      FAIL

      Re: If a mistake is bad enough ...

      Oh well, back to Bedlam to find another Leader of Great [sic] Britain. Or try the vagrants under Westminster Bridge. And drop the "Great", past a joke.

      1. Schultz

        And drop the "Great", past a joke.

        Somebody should campaign with the slogan: "Make Britain Great Again".

        1. Anonymous Coward Silver badge
          Trollface

          Re: And drop the "Great", past a joke.

          Well, the United Kingdom is finally a KINGdom again. Now lets start working on that "united" bit, shall we?

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: And drop the "Great", past a joke.

            A kingdom is ruled by a King

            We're a country, so our political leaders are typically ... [insert Norse vulgarity for pudenda here]

          2. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: And drop the "Great", past a joke.

            as a queen we feel deeply offended by this sexist, misogynist comment!

      2. CrazyOldCatMan Silver badge

        Re: If a mistake is bad enough ...

        Great [sic] Britain

        ObPedant: The name comes about not as a descriptive of some measure of power or influence but to distinguish it from 'Less Britain' (i.e Brittany).

        And it's a name of great provenance, not something thought up in the last few centuries.

        (Although the first use of the name was in 148CE by the historian Ptolemy - he calls the larger of the British Isles 'Great Britain' and Ireland he called 'Little Britain'. The Saxons were the ones who used the term with relation to Brittany. First use of the name as an official term was in 1474 - if one believes PikiWedia anyway..)

  2. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

    Obvious solution

    Introduce conscription - everyone is forced to be prime minister in turn, at gun point

    1. codejunky Silver badge

      Re: Obvious solution

      @Yet Another Anonymous coward

      "everyone is forced to be prime minister in turn, at gun point"

      I wouldnt be shocked if this was required as who would want this poison pill in this party or any other?

      1. Flocke Kroes Silver badge

        Re: Obvious solution

        You are quite right: it is not just the prime minister or the conservative party that is the problem. The entire house of commons is a barrier to constructive government. Although the appropriate time is approaching, the problem with the Guy Fawkes solution is they would get replaced by more of the same. I propose replacing the lot with sortition. That way only 50% would be below average intelligence/competence/criminality/...

        1. Mooseman Silver badge

          Re: Obvious solution

          "The entire house of commons is a barrier to constructive government."

          Really? That was Johnson's approach when unlawfully proroguing parliament to force through his dodgy activities. You're rathe rmissing the point of parliament, unless you think an actual dictatorship is a good thing?

          1. Loyal Commenter Silver badge

            Re: Obvious solution

            Not really, Johnson took advantage of the myriad weaknesses of the current system, primary amongst them is that the system is based on unwritten rules, trust and honour

            It's primary flaws are that it is elected by FPTP and not PR, so is not representative, artificially amplifying small majorities, and failing to represent significant minorities, that the rules are either based on convention, or are arcane (such as not being able to call another member a liar even when they are clearly lying), and that it is fundamentally an adversarial system, and not one of cooperative government, as you would get in a coalition of parties in a PR-elected system. This leads to the system of Whips where MPs are expected to vote along party lines, and not in the interests of their constituents, or the country, so there's no real representation at all of public opinion in parliamentary votes, with the results pretty much dictated by the leader of the party in power.

            Let's not get onto the "upper house" and how anti-democratic that is.

            There are plenty of parliamentary systems around the world that do not suffer the same problems as ours. It is only our own insular parochialism that prevents us from learning from them.

      2. xyz Silver badge

        Re: Obvious solution

        It's like Boss Baby, when everyone was CEO of BabyCorp for about 10 minutes each before they were dumped. The triplets were the best.

      3. fidodogbreath

        Re: Obvious solution

        Anyone who wants to be the leader of a major country should be automatically disqualified from the job.

        1. lglethal Silver badge
          Mushroom

          Re: Obvious solution

          No you dont need to go that far.

          Simply ban anyone who is (or studied to be) a lawyer, union rep, political scientist (gah i feel dirty just using the term), or who's only work experience involves working for a political party, union, an MP's office or a multi-million dollar family business. It might also be good to ban anyone that studied at Oxbridge (or uses the term "read at so and so college" when referring to going to a university), or who went to Eton. But that might be going too far as occasionally good one's pop out (e.g. Ian Hislop).

          Maybe then you would get some people in who actually know how to be adults, compromise and come up with solutions, rather than only knowing how to argue vehemently and come up with soundbites.

          1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

            Re: Obvious solution

            Wouldn't we then end up with a chamber full of experts with long experience and the time for careful debate unconcerned with sound bites and political manoeuvring?

            Plus some Russian oligarchs who bunged the party a few Roubles

            1. Anonymous Coward
              Anonymous Coward

              Re: Obvious solution

              "Plus some Russian oligarchs who bunged the party a few Roubles"

              How's this any different from any government we've had in the last 30-40 years?

            2. veti Silver badge

              Re: Obvious solution

              We have that already, it's called the House of Lords.

              1. Anonymous Coward
                Anonymous Coward

                Re: Obvious solution

                His cheque cleared. So proles, grovel before Baron Lebedev of Hampton in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and of Siberia in the Russian Federation.

          2. John Smith 19 Gold badge
            Coat

            "Zero Truss Architecture"

            Good start.

            Indeed zero trust in any politician?

            How could you make such a political system work.

            That's left as an exercise for the student.

            1. codejunky Silver badge

              Re: "Zero Truss Architecture"

              @John Smith 19

              "Indeed zero trust in any politician?

              How could you make such a political system work."

              Government is limited to the jobs we need government for.

          3. John Smith 19 Gold badge
            Unhappy

            "only knowing how to argue vehemently and come up with soundbites."

            Which is pretty much what having a PPE degree (which both Sunak and Truss have and which also seems to be a common denomiator among the various data fetishists at MI5/6/GCHQ).

            It seems to give them the skills to argue that black is white and the arrogance to believe they are always right.

            Even when they are not.

            The Johnson's support for Truss has been fully justified.

            Note how quickly he cancelled his "Holiday" to return to the UK. Not exactly the behaviour of someone who has totally walked away from wanting the top spot.

            1. Wellyboot Silver badge

              Re: "only knowing how to argue vehemently and come up with soundbites."

              Yes, PPE is a simply a degree in arguing the toss. BoJo studied the Classics which means he’s well versed in all the finer points of Greek & Roman politics - where the knives weren't metaphorical!

              Read his parliamentary speeches as leader, they displayed utter self confidence*, he really is expecting to find a way back to the top but obviously didn't expect Truss to burn down the economy a week into the job proper, so the question now is will he jump at the chance or play the long game party unity card and wait until a more favourable moment be a loyal(ish) supporter for the good of the country.

              *to the point of not giving a flying one what almost anyone else thinks about him or his personal actions, this underpinned his not fully grasping that while the British public will put up with a lot in their leaders (if the job is being done well enough) they don't like hypocrites.

        2. Red Ted
          FAIL

          Re: Obvious solution

          From the late great Douglas Adams:

          “The major problem—one of the major problems, for there are several—one of the many major problems with governing people is that of whom you get to do it; or rather of who manages to get people to let them do it to them.

          “To summarize: it is a well-known fact that those people who must want to rule people are, ipso facto, those least suited to do it.

          “To summarize the summary: anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job.”

          1. Loyal Commenter Silver badge

            Re: Obvious solution

            The man had a lot of political wisdom:

            “On its world, the people are people. The leaders are lizards. The people hate the lizards and the lizards rule the people."

            "Odd," said Arthur. "I thought you said it was a democracy."

            "I did," said Ford. "It is."

            "So," said Arthur, hoping he wasn't sounding ridiculously obtuse, "why don't the people get rid of the lizards?"

            "It honestly doesn't occur to them," said Ford. "They've all got the vote, so they all pretty much assume that the government they voted in more or less approximates to the government they want."

            "You mean they actually vote for the lizards?"

            "Oh yes," said Ford with a shrug, "of course."

            "But," said Arthur, going in for the big one again, "why?"

            "Because if they didn't vote for a lizard," said Ford, "the wrong lizard might get in.”

      4. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Obvious solution

        >>>who would want this poison pill in this party or any other?

        Plenty of power-hungry sociopaths to choose from still.

    2. Triggerfish

      Re: Obvious solution

      Every time we get rid of one I think a stake through the heart just to make sure is in order.

      1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

        Re: Obvious solution

        At the currently exponentially decreasing tenure we are soon going to reach the stage of prime-ministers / second and this would cause massive deforestation.

      2. sabroni Silver badge
        Unhappy

        Re: Every time we get rid of one I think a stake through the heart just to make sure is in order.

        Double tap!

        Otherwise, you think they're dead but they come back....

    3. ciaran
      IT Angle

      Re: Obvious solution

      My take at a solution is to choose members of parliament by lottery:

      - anyone eligible must submit a form saying they agree to drop their current activities for 4 or 5 years

      - no need for political parties, no funding for political parties.

      - the group chosen decides on a leadership committee

      - all members get an office and a budget, and can work on whatever preoccupies them

      - including hiring auditors and running tribunals

      - members can pool budgets on a year-by-year basis

      - the role of government is like a board of directory, they're not there to take decisions

      - the civil service takes decisions under guidance of the leadership committee.

      1. David Nash Silver badge

        Re: Obvious solution

        But how could you prevent political parties emerging? you can't really prevent free association with like-minded people.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Obvious solution

          Here national political parties aren't allowed at the city mayor/council elections.

          So you get "parties" who are owned by either the Police union or the property developers.

          You can tell which because they are all called "Safer CITY" or "CITY growth"

      2. T. F. M. Reader

        Re: Obvious solution

        - the civil service takes decisions under guidance of the leadership committee.

        @ciaran is Sir Humphrey Appleby and I claim my 5 quid.

      3. Twanky

        Re: Obvious solution

        MAKES decisions.

        You can take a decision only if you're offered more than one of them. If you're any good you make a decision out of original thoughts.

        The connotation is that the people offering the menu of decisions really haven't finished the job so I had to take the least bad decision they offered.

        I blame Tony Blair for this construction finding its way into UK politics.

      4. This post has been deleted by its author

    4. rcxb Silver badge

      Re: Obvious solution

      You know... Trump may be available.

      1. James O'Shea

        Re: Obvious solution

        Take him. Please. We'll pay you to take him.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Obvious solution

          So the punishment for sedition is to be made British Prime-minister?

          Seems harsh

    5. Potemkine! Silver badge

      Re: Obvious solution

      At it seems you get a £115,000 annual grant for life for being an ex-prime minister, there may be a lot of candidates without requiring a gun.

      == Bring us Dabbsy back! ==

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Obvious solution

        Seems a little over the top for 6 weeks work.....

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Obvious solution

          "Seems a little over the top for 6 weeks work....."

          Work?

      2. ThatOne Silver badge

        Re: Obvious solution

        > it seems you get a £115,000 annual grant for life for being an ex-prime minister

        Really? Can I be prime minister, please, just for a day?... I promise I won't break anything.

    6. Mooseman Silver badge

      Re: Obvious solution

      " everyone is forced to be prime minister in turn"

      Do we al get the lifelong £100k + pension if we do?

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Check the icon, I'm running for office now!

    This makes me think that Truss is smarter than Johnson. Brexit is "done", the Prime Minister Election is "done" and we're just moving forward, the past is past again. This illustrates that getting things done is not the same as getting things working (yes the icon is only a joke).

  4. Pierre 1970
    Pint

    As an argie, joining Monty Python and Borges in one sentence made my day, if not the week, month or even the whole year.

    1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

      >made my day, if not the week, month or even the whole year.

      So we're friends now ?

      1. Pierre 1970

        Yeap...just forget the hand of god

        1. Wellyboot Silver badge

          I blame the Ref.

          1. CrazyOldCatMan Silver badge

            I blame the Ref

            Don't tell the Germans!

  5. chivo243 Silver badge
    Trollface

    Export please!

    I'm thinking other countries would benefit from this 1922 group of political assassins! A lot of them!

    1. devin3782
      Joke

      Re: Export please!

      Who assassin their target by shooting them through their own heads. Calling yourselves the 1922 tells you all you need to know about their general outlook

      1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

        Re: Export please!

        As opposed to the 1911 committee where they just give you a pistol and one bullet

      2. Joe W Silver badge

        Re: Export please!

        How about 1812? With cannons?

        1. Phil O'Sophical Silver badge

          Re: Export please!

          1066, with an arrow?

          1. jake Silver badge

            Re: Export please!

            Time flies like and arrow, and all that?

            1. SonofRojBlake

              Re: Export please!

              Fruit flies like a banana?

          2. Irony Deficient

            1066, with an arrow?

            The 66,000,000 BC Committee, with a candlestick in the library an asteroid?

            1. CrazyOldCatMan Silver badge

              Re: 1066, with an arrow?

              The 66,000,000 BC Committee

              With Rachel Welsh in a fur bikini?

              Hmmmm..

      3. ThatOne Silver badge
        Devil

        Re: Export please!

        > Calling yourselves the 1922 tells you all you need to know about their general outlook

        Sounds like a street gang name...

    2. John Smith 19 Gold badge
      Unhappy

      "'m thinking other countries would benefit from this 1922 group of political assassins!"

      It's a little more subtle than that.

      The Chairman calls on the PM and simply explains that (effectively) the back benchers, who make up the actual majority in the House are withdrawing their labour. The PM is now in charge of a party in name only.

      Theoretically a Conservative PM (and there is no equivalent in the Labour party) could say "F**k you I'm staying till the election comes round" but all of them so far have been either actual human beings (or close enough to one) to tender their resignation and leave with a bit of dignity, possibly even with a tear in their eye.

      More quietly leaving the front door open on the house whose mortage you can no longer afford rather than being dragged out by a couple of baliffs.

      1. Wellyboot Silver badge

        Re: "'m thinking other countries would benefit from this 1922 group of political assassins!"

        Parliamentary democracy, any incumbent PM is expendable and can be replaced in short order.

        Should any PM ignore their own parties calls to go a general vote in the house can remove them and give the sitting majority a short time to pick a new leader or force a general election.

        Bottom line - In the UK, the PM runs the executive branch of government at the behest of parliament.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: "'m thinking other countries would benefit from this 1922 group of political assassins!"

          That's the theory. However the last 4-5 prime ministers lacked the ability between them to run a bath. As for running a government....

          1. CrazyOldCatMan Silver badge

            Re: "'m thinking other countries would benefit from this 1922 group of political assassins!"

            However the last 4-5 prime ministers lacked the ability between them to run a bath

            I think May mostly suffered from the Major Syndrome - usually explained as having a Cabinet that hated you and each other..

  6. Dunstan Vavasour

    Online Leadership Election

    Not sure about running the members' ballot online...

    https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/kemi-badenoch-admits-she-hacked-a-labour-mps-website-to-say-nice-things-about-the-tories-142388

    1. John Smith 19 Gold badge
      Happy

      Not sure about running the members' ballot online...

      Not at all.

      Who within the Conservative party voted Truss (and before her the Johnson) in?

      Old codgers.

      And what thing are most rich old codgers not very good at?

      A simple yet effective filter which (along with the 100 signature minimum rule) should limit the opportunites for the more Ahole end of the party from having any chance of selection.

    2. Ordinary Donkey

      Re: Online Leadership Election

      That's why I support Kemi.

      Not that she has a chance, at this rate Boris will come back on Halloween and it won't even be funny.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Online Leadership Election

        Then rather Boris. He's pompous and basking in the limelight, but lazy and doesn't get anything done. Badenoch (1) is a far-right zealot who would, like Truss, go over the top to please the lower half of the Daily Mail readers within the first week (this time on "security" rather than the economy.

        (1) Who makes up those names? We have an attorney called Suella, somebody trying to show her "bad" credentials called Badenough, and a Cleverly who isn't overly so. If we are indeed characters in an alien soap opera, it's rather badly written.

        1. John Smith 19 Gold badge
          Unhappy

          an attorney called Suella, somebody... called Badenough*, and a Cleverly

          And as someone pointed out "Gutto Bebb" is not in fact a henchman of Jabba the Hutt but an actual Conservative political commentator.

          As they say "Politics makes for strange bedfellows."

          TBH I keep thinking of her as "Bad Enoch"

        2. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Online Leadership Election

          Perhaps you can explain when feminism became far right? It gets confusing for us cis males.

  7. 45RPM Silver badge

    If an election isn’t called now then democracy in this country is well and truly dead (at least for the time being), and it’s been looking suspiciously nailed to its perch in this country ever since Brexit.

    It seems that we get whoever the tabloids (including that honorary tabloid, The Maily Telegraph) want us to get, and the majority of the population is too bovine and slow on a diet of social media to question the idiocy of voting Conservative or supporting whatever Farage is doing these days.

    1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

      A group of elected Tory MPs elect a committee to elect who becomes the next PM - that's like democracy**3, you can't get much more democracy than that !

      1. David Nash Silver badge

        Amusing comment but that isn't what happens! The committee oversee the election process, which takes place among the party members.

        I do think there should be a way for the population at large to demand a general election though.

        1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

          I thought the complaint was that the PM was ultimately chosen by 100,000 ancient golf-club party members and it would be more democratic if they were chosen directly by MPs (guided by the whips)

          1. CrazyOldCatMan Silver badge

            guided by the whips

            Ooh - we're allowed to whip MPs? Politics is suddenly much more interesting..

        2. Phil O'Sophical Silver badge

          I do think there should be a way for the population at large to demand a general election though.

          I'm not so sure. We'd end up having one every month.

        3. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          I do think there should be a way for the population at large to demand a general election

          There are lots of ways to demand a general election. None of those has any legal and factual weight though. Other than, perhaps, mass-storming the parliament and 'asking' the honourable gentle-men and gentle-wemen to consider immediate election. But that would be decried as 'undemocratic' and 'blackmail' and 'peasants' revolt 2.0' and Ben the Wallace would have to declare martial law and proclaim himself the Lord Protector of the Nukes and Minor Systems. Which, he appears not to be inclined to do. Well, I've run out of ideas, and it's not even Friday yet. Or is it?

      2. Mooseman Silver badge

        "

        A group of elected Tory MPs elect a committee to elect who becomes the next PM - that's like democracy**3, you can't get much more democracy than that !"

        But apparently that was "undemocratic" when the EU did it.

    2. alain williams Silver badge

      General Election

      If the new government (led by whoever Prime Minister) followed roughly the 2019 Tory manifesto then I would be content to not have a GE. If they do not then a GE should be mandatory.

      (I will accept changes mandated by unforseeable events like Covid & Putin's war.)

      I pity satire writers - they must be struggling to keep up and find that events are more surreal than they could invent.

      1. Ordinary Donkey

        Re: General Election

        To be fair, Tim Farron's twitter is a goldmine for satirists right now.

    3. Disgusted Of Tunbridge Wells Silver badge
      Facepalm

      "Democracy doesn't count when I disagree with the outcome"

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        That's the MAGA Republicans' position in a nutshell.

        1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

          Although rather more eloquently and with multiple syllables

          1. John Brown (no body) Silver badge
            Windows

            So, more like "Not win. Stole vote. Vote wrong!!"

      2. hplasm
        Meh

        "Democracy doesn't count when I disagree with the outcome"

        Username checks out...

    4. veti Silver badge

      Nonsense. Democracy in the UK is doing its job, as proven by the fact that Truss is gone.

      Compare her with Trump, who held his job for a full term despite doing far worse.

      There's a lot of misconceptions about what elections are for. You don't vote for a set of policies or ideas, because everyone knows that what politicians say they'll do has only coincidental correspondence with what they actually end up doing. (And that's not, or at least not just, because they were lying, it's because you don't know until you get there what the real constraints are.)

      What you vote for is a person whom you think will do the best job of promoting the sort of things you agree with. It's a contest of trust, that's all. And at the last election, the British people put their trust in the wunch of bankers known as the Tories. (And frankly I'm still pretty sure they were right to do so. Remember what the alternative was.)

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Happy

        "Democracy in the UK is doing its job, as proven by the fact that Truss is gone."

        It also did its job by getting her in in the first place.

        Don't the two cancel each other out?

    5. SundogUK Silver badge

      "...and the majority of the population is too bovine and slow on a diet of social media to question..."

      So it's the public's fault, not the Conservative Party's. Make up your mind, do you want democracy or not?

      1. Disgusted Of Tunbridge Wells Silver badge

        No he does not.

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Please help me here

    Just what is this article doing on a tech blog? Was

    it posted here by mistake?

    1. wolfetone Silver badge

      Re: Please help me here

      Didn't you read?

      An online lettuce outlasted the PM.

      An online lettuce.

      It involves a computer, it's bloody well tech!

      1. TimMaher Silver badge
        Headmaster

        Re: Please help me here

        And... it’s flagged as a boot note.

        1. b0llchit Silver badge
          Coat

          Re: Please help me here

          ...boot note...

          How remarkably accurate. Did it leave any marks? on the lettuce, of course

        2. that one in the corner Silver badge

          This makes me so happy

          It's like a return to the Glory Days of El Reg, when we had to point out "bootnotes" to someone demanding to know what the IT angle is. Thank you, thank you.

          Ah, memories. What days we used to share.

          1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

            Re: This makes me so happy

            >It's like a return to the Glory Days of El Reg,

            You're suggesting Dabbsy for PM?

            1. jake Silver badge
              Pint

              Re: This makes me so happy

              He buggered off to France.

              Probably didn't want to be press-ganged into the job. Smart man, that.

              1. Wellyboot Silver badge

                Re: This makes me so happy

                Well he wouldn't have gone to avoid the strikes :o)

              2. Stork Silver badge

                Re: This makes me so happy

                Boris buggered off to dinner lectures. I suppose Dabbsy’s main problem (if he was interested) is that he is not MP

      2. Paul Herber Silver badge

        Re: Please help me here

        ' it's bloody well tech!'

        Now, I've warned you before, don't call me techy!

    2. Disgusted Of Tunbridge Wells Silver badge

      Re: Please help me here

      El Reg went left wing about 5 years ago sadly.

      They're going to have a stroke when Boris comes back.

      1. NewModelArmy

        Re: Please help me here

        I don't see many people complaining about this article. Take it for what it is, a bit of fun.

        Maybe the people who frequent this website are left leaning, but that is everyone's right, and not the fault of the website.

        1. Disgusted Of Tunbridge Wells Silver badge

          Re: Please help me here

          El Reg didn't used to be left leaning. That only started when they started courting the student reader in 2017.

          Politics articles aren't fun, even if they are.

          1. NewModelArmy

            Re: Please help me here

            The articles i read have no political bias. This site is not any leaning, just a report of the facts and opinion etc., on tech stuff.

            Taking the mickey, where it is well deserved, is not left leaning, just a bit of fun.

      2. logicalextreme

        Re: Please help me here

        Not the worst reaction given his track record tbh

      3. John H Woods Silver badge

        Re: Please help me here

        If "Boris" comes back I'll have a party, as it's the final nail in their coffin.

        I know what the members want, but it doesn't match what the voters want. It's a lesson that Labour learned with Corbyn, and it looks like the Conservatives have yet to learn it.

        The other lesson that people are finally learning is that "Reality has a liberal bias" -- Prof. Brian Cox

        1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

          Re: Please help me here

          "Facts have a liberal bias" was Rob Corddry (writer for the Colbert daily show) in 2004, originally said about Bush's invasion of Iraq

          1. Primus Secundus Tertius

            Re: Please help me here

            The invasion of Iraq struck me as the folly of two religious men, Bush and Blair, against the relatively non-religious Saddam Hussein who was turning Iraq into a modern secular state give or take the torturing of his opponents.

            1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

              Re: Please help me here

              The only difference being that Saddam wasn't democratically elected - presumably why the CIA didn't coup him before he did 9/11 with WMDs

            2. Paul Johnston
              Mushroom

              Re: Please help me here

              Just come back from Iraq, not sure how modern a secular state can be considered if it gasses it's own people.

              1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

                Re: Please help me here

                >if it gasses it's own people.

                They were Kurds, everybody gasses the Kurds

                1. John Smith 19 Gold badge
                  Unhappy

                  They were Kurds, everybody gasses the Kurds

                  Indeed. A popular passtime in Syria, and Iraq, and I'm sure Turkey and Iran too if they had any spare gas. Because.....

                  Their ba***ds.

                  How dare they think that just because they are one people split across 4 nations borders due to boundaries they had no say in the writing of (and whose lands sit on top of quite a lot of oil) they think they should have any say in what happens to themselves or the oil they are sitting on top of.

                  The audacity

                  You'd think they were human beings.....

        2. SundogUK Silver badge

          Re: Please help me here

          "Reality has a liberal bias"

          But Starmer cannot tell you what a woman is?

          1. Richard 12 Silver badge

            Re: Please help me here

            Of course he can't, he isn't one.

            On the other hand, anyone bringing up that particular bit of manufactured outrage should be ignored. Sorry about that.

        3. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: If "Boris" comes back I'll have a party, as it's the final nail in their coffin.

          it won't be the first final nail in the coffin. Or the 2nd. Or the last. I don't know... think Mogg, how about that?! It can always get worse! ;)

        4. Twanky

          Re: Please help me here

          If "Boris" comes back I'll have a party, as it's the final nail in their coffin.

          I know what the members want, but it doesn't match what the voters want...

          Does that mean that what the voters wanted in 2019 shouldn't have been taken away from them?

          I know we're not supposed to vote directly for our Prime Ministers (unless we're in their constituencies) but if ever a UK GE was a 'personality' contest then 2019 was it.

          Of course, voters change their minds from time to time but claiming to know that what members want doesn't match what voters want is a bit of a leap in the dark.

          My personal opinion is that Bojo might still be an attractive option to the voters who effectively put him in charge in 2019. I don't like that as an idea but it is my 2p opinion.

      4. codejunky Silver badge

        Re: Please help me here

        @Disgusted Of Tunbridge Wells

        "They're going to have a stroke when Boris comes back."

        I dont know how that would balance for my opinion. Early Boris showed some promise but later on my opinion wasnt so positive. Yet watching the shrieking and crying could be quite amusing.

        1. Disgusted Of Tunbridge Wells Silver badge

          Re: Please help me here

          His promise was promising. His actions were cowardly and driven by focus groups.

          My hope is that when he returns he deselects Sunak, Gove etc and governs with some balls.

          ( Although installing KK as chancellor is probably too much to ask ).

          1. Stork Silver badge

            Re: Please help me here

            Anyone paying attention to BJ’s promises is wasting time.

            He built his career on lying, he has now been sacked for it three times.

      5. This post has been deleted by its author

      6. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Please help me here

        "El Reg went left wing about 5 years ago sadly."

        Or perhaps oneself lurched to the right? As oldfolk tend to.

        1. Disgusted Of Tunbridge Wells Silver badge
          Happy

          Re: Please help me here

          They sacked some writers (eg: Tim Warstall) and changed political direction on Jan 1st 2017.

          Also, I'm under 40. And I've always been a Tory ( except when I was a student but you're meant to be stupid when you know nothing ).

          1. Richard 12 Silver badge

            Re: Please help me here

            If you're still a Tory now then you've learned nothing.

            Being conservative (small c) is defensible, but supporting what the Tory Party have now become is proof of insanity.

            1. Disgusted Of Tunbridge Wells Silver badge

              Re: Please help me here

              I'm not a small c 'conservative'. Big 'c' Conservative only.

              1. Anonymous Coward
                Anonymous Coward

                Re: Please help me here

                Your a big C all right. A four letter one, and rhymes with the chancellors surname.

          2. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: Please help me here

            Tim Worstall? The UKIP press officer and failed UKIP candidate? Oh very balanced.

            So no longer pandering to rightwing confirmation bias equals a shift left? Okaaaaay. I guess if you are out on the edge of the right that could be your perception.

            Onthe other hand, glad to see a Conservative voter owning this shitshow.

            1. Disgusted Of Tunbridge Wells Silver badge

              Re: Please help me here

              I didn't say it used to be balanced. But it isn't balanced now either.

              Which is fine, their shout. I'm just pointing it out.

      7. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Please help me here

        The Reg is pretty much where it always was - it's politics that lurched to the right with Brexit and hasn't looked back

      8. Mooseman Silver badge

        Re: Please help me here

        "They're going to have a stroke when Boris comes back."

        If bozo becomes PM then you can kiss any illusion of democracy goodbye.

      9. Lars Silver badge
        Happy

        Re: Please help me here

        @Disgusted Of Tunbridge Wells

        Everything is left wing when you are on the far right.

        1. codejunky Silver badge

          Re: Please help me here

          @Lars

          "Everything is left wing when you are on the far right."

          Just as everything is right wing the further left the politicians go.

          1. Lars Silver badge
            Pint

            Re: Please help me here

            @codejunky

            Yes of course, but it's worse in a two party country where everything is either or.

            In most countries, countries with several parties you have a center and a center left or right (most people) and then the more or less far right or far left.

            This represents the people (any country) a lot better than the either or system still in use in some countries, sadly.

            Also it creates coalition governments and as the Wiki points out.

            "A 2001 World Bank study found that parliamentary systems are associated with less corruption."

        2. Disgusted Of Tunbridge Wells Silver badge

          Re: Please help me here

          Thinking that the state shouldn't keep growing forever until it consumes 100% of GDP isn't far-right.

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: Please help me here

            "Thinking that the state shouldn't keep growing forever until it consumes 100% of GDP isn't far-right."

            Sounds like PROJECT FEAR.

    3. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

      Re: Please help me here

      The technology to display a HD full colour live lettuce to the world has taken decades. Once we were only able to show a single black+white coffee pot at 64x64 pixels

      1. Paul Herber Silver badge

        Re: Please help me here

        'black+white coffee'

        coffee cannot be black and white at the same time (except Schroedinger's coffee)

        1. Primus Secundus Tertius

          Re: Please help me here

          Oh yes it can: when the cream is made to float on the black coffee beneath.

          1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

            Re: Please help me here

            <sings>.... coffee and latte, living together in perfect harmony,......

    4. NewModelArmy

      Re: Please help me here

      It is so that we can comment on current affairs about Truss to add some levity and humour to the seriousness.

      Just a bit of fun and to vent peoples spleen.

      1. The Oncoming Scorn Silver badge
        IT Angle

        Re: Please help me here

        I see you're very new here (Did you Regomise (from Liz) to Lis (For that is not her name)), it's helpful to use the Where's The IT Angle? (Icon supplied).

    5. diodesign (Written by Reg staff) Silver badge

      Free speech, duh

      The UK PM - not a trivial role, only the leader of a G7 nuclear power - has had a total meltdown and resigned weeks into the job. That'll make a good story. Especially with the online lettuce.

      Also, we're not a blog. We have offices and tea cups and a CFO. So, nerr.

      C.

      1. Rameses Niblick the Third Kerplunk Kerplunk Whoops Where's My Thribble?

        Re: Free speech, duh

        Also, we're not a blog. We have offices and tea cups and a CFO. So, nerr.

        Oh wow, I've not heard anyone say "So, nerr" in nearly 20 years, never mind seeing it written down! Pint and an upvote just for that!

        1. cyberdemon Silver badge
          Pint

          Re: Free speech, duh

          You forgot the pint, Mr. Niblick :)

          1. DS999 Silver badge

            Re: Free speech, duh

            Perhaps he was assuming the not-a-blog Register also has an on premises kegerator for an end of the day pint? Or is that only Silicon Valley startups?

            1. jake Silver badge

              Re: Free speech, duh

              "Or is that only Silicon Valley startups?"

              What, you don't have one?

              Shirley you didn't waste 2 years of Covid lockdown by not learning to brew your own beer?

              1. Fruit and Nutcase Silver badge
                Pint

                Re: Free speech, duh

                Before lockdown, the hard at work journalistic brain cells were being lubricated by a Beer Delivery Robot...

                https://www.theregister.com/2018/05/08/lester_eyes_locomotion/

        2. diodesign (Written by Reg staff) Silver badge

          in nearly 20 years

          Damn, I may have just given away my age. Thanks for the pint. Make it a gin.

          C.

      2. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

        Re: Free speech, duh

        >The UK PM - not a trivial role, only the leader of a G7 nuclear power

        Now I'm depressed....

        1. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

          Re: Free speech, duh

          Kim Jong-un is also the leader of a nuclear power. Not a G7 nation, but their economy might be in better shape than ours right now, Now THAT is depressing.

          1. veti Silver badge

            Re: Free speech, duh

            Last I checked, North Korea's GDP was smaller than that of Somerset.

            Which may be a comforting thought. Until you consider what it implies about what it takes to become a nuclear power...

            1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

              Re: Free speech, duh

              So Devon had better watch out ?

              1. John Smith 19 Gold badge
                Coat

                So Devon had better watch out ?

                Oh $deity

                India/China

                Pakistan/India

                Russia/China

                Russia/America

                Devon/Somerset.

              2. CrazyOldCatMan Silver badge

                Re: Free speech, duh

                So Devon had better watch out ?

                Nuclear-armed Zomerzet on one side and pastie-armed Kernow on the other with only an incorrectly-applied cream tea scone to defend themselves with?

                Kernow bys vikken!

                (I should point out that my wife is from Plymouth and her paternal ancestry is all Cornish. Me - I'm the end result of the melting pot that is the Forest of Dean. It's amazing that I don't have six toes on each foot..)

                1. jake Silver badge

                  Re: Free speech, duh

                  "It's amazing that I don't have six toes on each foot."

                  Nowt wrong with being polydactyl. Some of my favorite cats, etc. etc.

                2. John Brown (no body) Silver badge
                  Joke

                  Re: Free speech, duh

                  "Me - I'm the end result of the melting pot that is the Forest of Dean. It's amazing that I don't have six toes on each foot.."

                  Maybe you do. Have you considered obtaining a second opinion from someone who can count?

            2. 42656e4d203239 Silver badge
              Mushroom

              Re: Free speech, duh

              >>GDP was smaller than that of Somerset.

              >>Which may be a comforting thought. Until you consider what it implies about what it takes to become a nuclear power...

              Don't give the minister for the middle ages (MP for North East Somerset, snoozer in chief of the house of commons, he of the passive agressive notes left on desks of people who weren't there - which of course they wouldn't read, not being there) any ideas!

            3. Mooseman Silver badge

              Re: Free speech, duh

              "Last I checked, North Korea's GDP was smaller than that of Somerset. Which may be a comforting thought. Until you consider what it implies about what it takes to become a nuclear power..."

              Russia has the same GDP as Netherlands and Belgium.

              1. Lars Silver badge
                Happy

                Re: Free speech, duh

                @Mooseman

                No that is not true, the Netherlands and Belgium don't even together have the same GDP as Russia. Using the 2022 estimates in the Wikipedia.

                The value for Russia right now of course is anybody's guess. (the less the better).

                1. Mooseman Silver badge

                  Re: Free speech, duh

                  "Using the 2022 estimates in the Wikipedia."

                  Netherlands GDP per capita in 2019 was 52,450 USD - 1018.01 billion US dollars GPD total

                  Russia's GDP per capita in 2019 was 11,580 USD - 1699.90 billion US dollars GDP total

                  Belgium's GDP per capita in 2019 was 46,120 USD - 599.88 billion US dollars GDP total

                  So Russia had about 82 billion more GDP in 2019 than Netherlands and Belgium. (source: tradingeconomics,com and world bank)

                  By 2021 this had changed a little, Belgium had a GDP per capita of 517678, Netherlands had 58061, and Russia had 10219.75. I suspect by now these figures for Russia are wildly out.

                  I wouldn't rely on wikipedia as a reliable source for much, let alone forecast estimates.

            4. Stork Silver badge

              Re: Free speech, duh

              Not that much, really. Apparently Sweden was about half a year away in the late sixties but decided against.

            5. CrazyOldCatMan Silver badge

              Re: Free speech, duh

              about what it takes to become a nuclear power

              Spending all your money on the project and letting your people starve to death?

            6. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

              Re: Free speech, duh

              "Last I checked, North Korea's GDP was smaller than that of Somerset."

              It seems to be about double that of Somerset.

              Nth Korea $28.5 billion (nominal, 2016) $40 billion (PPP, 2015 est.)

              Somerset In 2019, Somerset's economy was worth almost £12.1bn in Gross Value Added (GVA) terms...The Somerset economy has grown for the last seven consecutive years.

              Clearly Somerset is catching up but has a ways to go yet :-)

              Having said that, I'm not sure GDP is a useful measure when it comes to talking about a pariah state that has few trading partners and of whose internal markets we know so little.

      3. Vometia has insomnia. Again. Silver badge

        Re: Free speech, duh

        ...and the wrong dictionary!

        But partial forgiveness for saying "so ner", I thought I was the only one who still did that and was beginning to feel a bit silly.

        1. jake Silver badge

          Re: Free speech, duh

          I still use "groovy" occasionally :-)

          1. John 110

            Re: Free speech, duh

            That's cool, Jake

          2. Dave 126 Silver badge

            Re: Free speech, duh

            > I still use "groovy" occasionally :-)

            So do I, but my formative years were the eighties and nineties so my 'Groovy' is taken from Ash in Evil Dead II finding the chainsaw.

          3. Vometia has insomnia. Again. Silver badge

            Re: Free speech, duh

            Same. And "daddio" to refer to squares.

          4. CrazyOldCatMan Silver badge

            Re: Free speech, duh

            I still use "groovy" occasionally

            My go-to phrase is "no worries" despite never having been to Australia, lived with an Australian or even spent much time with one socially.

            Life is odd. Lunchtime especially so.

            1. jake Silver badge

              Re: Free speech, duh

              I use "no worries" occasionally, too. Not sure where Australia comes into it ... I got it from my Grandfather, Northern California, early '60s. (Probably earlier.)

      4. MJB7

        Re: Free speech, duh

        Don't forget "permanent member of the UN Security Council"

      5. jake Silver badge

        Re: Free speech, duh

        I'm just surprised at the lack of "Conservative Party tries to fix hernia with Truss, fails miserably. Nausea, vomiting and fever continue throughout the Party." or words to that effect.

        1. John Smith 19 Gold badge

          "Conservative Party tries to fix hernia with Truss,

          Indeed. Truss's departure is a sad loss. :-(

          To headline writers and anyone wanting to make snarky comments about the average age of Conservative party members. So many opportunites to take the p**s.

          For those in the UK whose mortgages and energy bills went up (because UK electricity prices follow gas prices and what currency is gas bought in?) it's several weeks overdue.

          TBF to mad Lizzie she did what she promised the Party members she was going to do and she had as much support as Iain Duncan Smith (who was one of her supporters) had when he was elected by the membership. IDS lasted IIRC about 18 months. Not very happy times for parliament back them either.

    6. First Light
      IT Angle

      Re: Please help me here

      If you want an IT angle, here it is. The UK government is about to be run by the son-in-law of the founder, and husband of a major investor/owner, of Infosys the second largest IT company in India with a market cap of US$75bn, the worlds 160th most valuable company (by market cap)..

      1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

        Re: Please help me here

        Perhaps outsourcing is the solution?

        PMQs can be answered by 'My-name-is-John-how-can-I-help-you' with an Indian accent telling you to turn it off and on again

        1. James O'Shea

          Re: Please help me here

          I believe that Sonia Gandhi is available. I'm sure that she can't possibly do worse than Liz Truss.

          1. The commentard formerly known as Mister_C

            Re: Please help me here

            Sonia of off Stock, Aitkin & Waterman would do a better job than Lettuce Truss

            1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

              Re: Please help me here

              >Stock, Aitkin & Waterman would do a better job than Lettuce Truss

              So a PM who is never gonna give you up Never gonna let you down Never gonna run around and desert you Never gonna make you cry Never gonna say goodbye Never gonna tell a lie, and hurt you ?

              1. Korev Silver badge
                Pint

                Re: Please help me here

                Well played Sir

              2. Fruit and Nutcase Silver badge

                Re: Please help me here

                Rick Astley is still going strong...

                https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ

              3. John Smith 19 Gold badge
                Coat

                "PM who is never gonna give you up Never gonna let you down"

                OMG.

                We've been Rick rolled.

    7. jake Silver badge

      Re: Please help me here

      Lis, welcome to Bootnotes.

      ElReg is a RedTop, they have to publish this kind of thing once in a while or they get kicked out of the guild. Thus, Bootnotes.

      Besides, all work and no play makes for a dull Vulture.

    8. DexterWard

      Re: Please help me here

      ‘Liz Truss’ is a failed AI experiment. Hence that strange way of talking

      1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

        Re: Please help me here

        >‘Liz Truss’ is a failed AI experiment. Hence that strange way of talking

        Stepford wives by Lucas Electronics ?

        1. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

          Re: Please help me here

          Ah, so that's why she never goes out when it's raining :-)

    9. DanceMan
      IT Angle

      Re: Please help me here

      This is not merely an IT site. It's also a community.

      1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

        Re: Please help me here

        Definitely part of the "care in the ...."

  9. Ugotta B. Kiddingme

    seeing how things work (or don't) over there...

    OFTEN makes me wish we had an easier system over here in Yankville to remove leaders early. One bad one after another in an endless stream of bovine excrement. Only difference is the type of excrement and upon whom it falls...

    1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

      Re: seeing how things work (or don't) over there...

      >OFTEN makes me wish we had an easier system over here in Yankville to remove leaders early

      I thought you had a very efficient system - you just need to expand it beyond Dallas

    2. chivo243 Silver badge
      Coat

      Re: seeing how things work (or don't) over there...

      Maybe they could, ya know, Export it? I'm sure other countries could use it...

    3. David Nash Silver badge

      Re: seeing how things work (or don't) over there...

      The problem is, the little people don't get to remove the leaders early. Only the members of parliament, on the same side as the failing leader. And then they only do it if they think it's in their personal interest, of course.

      1. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

        Re: seeing how things work (or don't) over there...

        "The problem is, the little people don't get to remove the leaders early."

        Under some circumstances, the constituents can remove their MP. if that MP happens to be the PM...well :-)

        1. John Smith 19 Gold badge
          Thumb Up

          ... the constituents can remove their MP. if that MP happens to be the PM...well :-)

          An under appreciated fact of the UK system. It's called a recall petition.

          You can't lead the Parliementary Party (of any party) if you don't have a seat in parliament.

          IIRC it takes a petition of 10% of the people on the electorial roll.

          1. phils

            Re: ... the constituents can remove their MP. if that MP happens to be the PM...well :-)

            The petition process can only take start though if the MP in question has been one of

            convicted of an offence and received a custodial sentence (including a suspended sentence) or ordered to be detained, other than solely under mental health legislation

            Or

            barred from the House of Commons for 10 sitting days or 14 calendar days

            Or

            convicted of providing false or misleading information for allowance claims under the Parliamentary Standards Act 2009.

          2. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

            Re: ... the constituents can remove their MP. if that MP happens to be the PM...well :-)

            >You can't lead the Parliementary Party (of any party) if you don't have a seat in parliament.

            Is that necessarily true? Pretty sure we have had Green Party leaders who weren't MPs

            And with Alec Douglas-Home we nearly had a PM who wasn't an MP

            1. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

              Re: ... the constituents can remove their MP. if that MP happens to be the PM...well :-)

              You can be a party leader without being an MP, but in general, you can't be a PM if you are not an MP, ie the leader of the Parliamentary party, the one in power. But, under certain circumstances, the Monarch can invite someone, anyone, to try to form a government if there are issues such as a hung Parliament and little prospect of a coalition.

      2. veti Silver badge

        Re: seeing how things work (or don't) over there...

        Well yes, but why do they do it? What makes it "in their personal interest"?

        I'll give you a hint, it begins with "public".

    4. cmdrklarg

      Re: seeing how things work (or don't) over there...

      Eh, we tried to remove the Florida Orange Man early (twice!), unfortunately his cronies in the Senate sat on their hands and blocked it.

      Make it easier? Nah, that just would be another way to subvert elections.

      1. jake Silver badge

        Re: seeing how things work (or don't) over there...

        The problem with removing Orange Idiot in Chief early was that his replacement, that fucking nutcase Pence, was/is so bad that not even the conservative ultra-right old guard wanted him in the oval office, not even for a couple of months ...

        Why do you think Cheeto hired him for the job? Made his spot in the White House bullet-proof for four years.

    5. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: seeing how things work (or don't) over there...

      “an easier system over here in Yankville”

      Well Jan 6th was the experiment and it failed miserably.

      Thankfully

      1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

        Re: seeing how things work (or don't) over there...

        Wasn't that an attempt to keep an de-elected leader rather than defenestration an elected one?

        Unless you think the purpose was to decapitate Pence

  10. First Light
    FAIL

    Face like thunder

    Her face at that podium, full of suppressed rage!

    These jokers want power without responsibility.

    And the lettuce actually won.

    1. R Soul Silver badge

      Re: Face like thunder

      Indeed. Being defeated by a lettuce is going to look great on cheesmonger Truss's CV.

      1. cyberdemon Silver badge
        Devil

        Re: Face like thunder

        Probably most pissed off about the prospect being evicted from Chequers (by a lettuce, no less). She certainly seemed to spend more time there than in dingy No. 10 or indeed Parliament.

        I'd vote that we turn Chequers into a lettuce farm managed by the national trust, open to the public and putting the land to good use growing lettuces for the nation instead of being a cushy Pile of laurels for the PM to sit on.

        Ministers (and Prime Ministers) are supposed to SERVE the country, not pretend as if they own it!

        1. jake Silver badge

          Re: Face like thunder

          Perhaps the Ministers (including the Prime Minister) should be made to serve salads to poor people one day per month, as a reminder that once elected they are supposed to leave their Salad Days behind them.

          Might as well do something with that old lettuce ...

      2. James O'Shea

        Re: Face like thunder

        John Assscroft was defeated by a dead guy... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2000_United_States_Senate_election_in_Missouri

        Yes, he lost to a zombi...

    2. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

      Re: Face like thunder

      She has two claims to fame.

      First UK PM to serve under two monarchs

      Shortest term UK PM EVAR!!

      That last, along with so many other negative firsts will be what she's remembered for. If she's remembered at all. A modern day Lady Jane Grey? Who?... asks nearly everyone?

      1. John H Woods Silver badge

        Re: Face like thunder

        Ah the 9 day Queen... Who, to be fair, didn't really want it.

      2. jmch Silver badge

        Re: Face like thunder

        "First UK PM to serve under two monarchs"

        Maybe I'm missing something fundamental here about the nature of UK's monarchy and/or parliament, but surely (a) every PM who was PM when the previous monarch died has served under 2 monarchs and (b) both the institutions of PM and the monarchy are old enough for there to have been several dead monarchs in the interim??

        Indeed, a few minutes Googling reveals not only a certain W. Churchill who served under George 6 and Liz 2, but that Baldwin served under 3 monarchs (George 5, Edward 8, George 6) due to Ed 8's abdication

        1. Fruit and Nutcase Silver badge
          Facepalm

          Re: Face like thunder

          The shortest serving UK PM, under the longest serving UK Monarch.

          Liz Truss 0 Liz Windsor 1

          Worth remembering that when she was a Lib Dem, she supported the abolition of the monarchy

      3. Irony Deficient

        First UK PM to serve under two monarchs

        Not by a long shot — Churchill was PM under two monarchs (George VI. and Elizabeth II.), as was Baldwin (Edward VIII. and George VI.), Viscount Melbourne (William IV. and Victoria), the Duke of Wellington (George IV. and William IV.), the Earl of Liverpool (George III. and George IV.), and Walpole (George I. and George II.).

        1. Fruit and Nutcase Silver badge

          Re: First UK PM to serve under two monarchs

          Perhaps... "First Female PM to serve under 2 monarchs"?

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Pulling straws?

      about that podium... how is one to think of 'stability' when the podium is a Jenga tower?

      1. First Light

        Re: Pulling straws?

        But the lettuce looks quite good sat there

        https://i2-prod.dailystar.co.uk/incoming/article28289617.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/0_Truss-Government-In-Turmoil-After-Confusion-Over-Resignations-And-Fractious-Night-In-The-Commons.jpg

    4. that one in the corner Silver badge

      Re: Face like thunder

      Podoum? PODIUM??

      That is a LECTERN!

      Bah, youngsters, believing everything they hear on Pointless.

      Now, if they elect the lettuce to Number 10 (could do worse) and it gives a speech whilst plonked on top of the lectern, *then* it would a podium. Though, like an oyster, a lettuce has very few feet (if any). Oh, I'm taking my lettuce for walkies...

      Mmmm, thank you Nurse. What a day it's been.

      1. Fading
        Coat

        Re: Face like thunder

        I for one welcome our new Asteraceae overlords....

  11. First Light

    Infosys will be happy

    It's looking like the Son-In-Law will be the next PM! Good times a-coming for Infosys!

    1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

      Re: Infosys will be happy

      Would he want the job?

      I'm not sure Indian parents would approve of their son giving up a promising career in finance to become a stand-up

    2. R Soul Silver badge

      Re: Infosys will be happy

      And look on the bright side: no more juicy IT contracts to Crapita, Fujistu, IBM, Accenture, etc. Maybe

  12. Dizzy Dwarf

    Got the popcorn ready for Question Time

    Already feeling sorry for tonight's sacrificial Tory

    1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

      Re: Got the popcorn ready for Question Time

      Wouldn't you be tempted to just go on and laugh hysterically for 30mins ?

    2. David Nash Silver badge

      Re: Got the popcorn ready for Question Time

      At least she considerately resigned on a Thursday, in time for the recording of both The News Quiz and Have I got News for You which go out tomorrow.

      1. Korev Silver badge

        Re: Got the popcorn ready for Question Time

        Her timing did screw up the last ever Mock the Week though...

        1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

          Re: Got the popcorn ready for Question Time

          >Her timing did screw up the last ever Mock the Week though...

          Was it going to be her and Frankie as an all-stars team ?

      2. John Smith 19 Gold badge
        Unhappy

        on a Thursday, in time for..The News Quiz &Have I got News for You which go out tomorrow.

        I believe there is also something called "Friday Night Live" hosted by a "Ben Elton" that may also have some interest in the matter.

  13. Rameses Niblick the Third Kerplunk Kerplunk Whoops Where's My Thribble?

    I suppose the saving grace is that the length of time denoted by "A Truss" (44 days) is marginally longer than "A Kwarteng" (38 days).

    Seriously, how long do you actually have to hold a job to truly say you did it?

    1. EnviableOne

      a day is enough to qualify for the pension apparently

      1. Fruit and Nutcase Silver badge

        And quite good it is too - a bit ironic given what she did to the pension funds.

    2. NewModelArmy
      Happy

      About a day.

      My transit time is approximately 18 hours.

    3. Dave 126 Silver badge

      I believe that all former PMs retain a car and driver for life, as well as police protection. However, my source is Jeremy Paxman's book The Political Animal published (and read) yonks ago, so maybe it's changed.

    4. diodesign (Written by Reg staff) Silver badge

      E-z money

      Regardless, she gets to dip into an annual 115k GBP allowance for the rest of her life. She can use the funds to expense stuff if there's a public duty angle to it – police protection, correspondence, meetings, etc.

      Past PMs have all used their allowances.

      C.

      1. R Soul Silver badge

        Re: E-z money

        What are the chances Truss spends that allowance on cheese? Or maybe some lettuce.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: E-z money

          Pork Futures.

      2. CrazyOldCatMan Silver badge

        Re: E-z money

        use the funds to expense stuff

        AARRRGGGHHHHH !

        We are not the US - you can't just convert a noun to a verb! It is an abomination of nature, the very negation of sound speech!

        Yes, yes, it might be more brief than saying 'put stuff on expenses' but it's wrong as per Adam Hill "Liz Truss as PM just sounds wrong".

        I'll shut up now. My G&T is calling..

        1. jake Silver badge
          Pint

          Re: E-z money

          As the great Bill Watterson taught us, "Verbing weirds language". Weirding is not a bad thing, especially in informal writing/speech. Unless you lack the humo(u)r gene, of course, in which case I feel very, very sorry for you.

          Generic "you", not you personally, COCM. Allow me to beer you.

        2. Irony Deficient

          We are not the US - you can’t just convert a noun to a verb! …

          … It is an abomination of nature, the very negation of sound speech!

          Don’t be silly. Consider the verb “shepherd”, which came from the noun “shepherd” — the earliest use of the verb came from the pen of Percy Bysshe Shelley, an Englishman, in his poem Arethusa (1820).

  14. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Someone will be along shortly ...

    ... to blame it all on Labour, Immigrants, Remain voters and the BBC.

    At least we can all appreciate the massive win by lettuce. Great job by the salade!

    1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

      Re: Someone will be along shortly ...

      Best result for a Green ever

    2. Flocke Kroes Silver badge

      Re: Someone will be along shortly ...

      I thought current fashion was to blame the EU for everything.

      1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

        Re: Someone will be along shortly ...

        It's never the Eu, they are totally powerless bureaucratic foreigners, impotent against the might of Global Britain

        It's the internal threat of the 5th columnist Remainer anti-growth coalition of experts and civil-servants

  15. Dan 55 Silver badge
    Thumb Up

    At last, a benefit of Brexit

    The Tory party eats itself.

    Icon is a Johnson thumbs up, unfortunately or more likely fortunately missing the gurning face behind it.

    1. lnLog
      Windows

      Re: At last, a benefit of Brexit

      What this one....?

      1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

        Re: At last, a benefit of Brexit

        Vote to make that the new Microsoft Teams icon

  16. Franco

    "Surely it couldn't be any worse? Could it?"

    We've been saying that for years though. In the US they assumed it couldn't be worse than George W. Bush, then they looked like they might elect Palin briefly, and then did elect Trump.

    We were complaining for years about May and how hardline she was as Home Secretary, only to appear as a moderate compared to her successors Rudd, Patel and Braverman.

    We also always knew May was a lame-duck PM because the Brexiteers knew that the country wasn't ready for one of their own, but spent 3 years plotting with the media to get Boris the top job, and whilst she was useless she was at least (comparitively) honest. Boris lied constantly and was defended by his loyalists (Mad Nad is so on message that she had her tweet queued up to get him back as leader as soon as Truss quit) and then we got Truss, who was a meme who had nothing about her other than saying whatever would get her the biggest cheer from the crowd in front of her.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Canadian solution here, what about a hereditary Prime Minister?

      Pick somebody far enough back that people have vaguely fond memories of.

      Pick one of their kids that seems innocuous enough, looks good for the cameras and has never done a real job

      1. iron Silver badge

        Oh we'e already got one of those, his name is Charles.

        1. Binraider Silver badge

          Indeed and voicing his well known political agenda is now suppressed by parliamentary convention dating back approx 100 years.

          The suppression of the Monarchs views obviously goes back further, but the heaviest suppression happens to coincide with the rise of the Tories in place of the Libs and Whigs.

          Coincidence? I think not.

  17. bregister
    Unhappy

    across the Irish sea

    it's a worry for us as this may be a preview what we will go through after the next election...

    1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

      Re: across the Irish sea

      I thought all Irish politicians were basically St Patric crossed with Seamus Heaney ?

      According to Fintan O'Toole

  18. Paul Hovnanian Silver badge

    "that people have vaguely fond memories of."

    Dwight D. Eisenhower here. Perhaps the secret is to select a bald leader.

    1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

      "Make America Great Again" by not just electing the tallest candidate with the best hair?

      1. cmdrklarg

        We failed the "best hair" category badly in 2016.

        1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

          >We failed the "best hair" category badly in 2016.

          Really? The shop said it was the bestest hair

          1. that one in the corner Silver badge

            Bestest hair

            I could only wish that my hair was so colour-fast.

            1. CrazyOldCatMan Silver badge

              Re: Bestest hair

              I could only wish that my hair was so colour-fast

              Or as resistant to shedding. Do you think they use a special extra-strength glue?

              1. WolfFan Silver badge

                Re: Bestest hair

                Orangutan glue must be better than Gorilla glue.

    2. Malcolm Weir Silver badge

      Ah, Eisenhower is popular not because of his follicle styling, because of his policies vis-a-vis Europe. He massively increased imports into first France, then the rest of western Europe, and encouraged the free movement of UK and US workers.

      1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

        So he was a communist ?

        1. veti Silver badge

          By current Republican standards, he certainly wouldn't be allowed to hold any important position in the party.

          For one thing, he believed in elections. For another, read his views on the military-industrial complex (aka, Republican welfare). He really thought the money would be better spent on feeding the hungry and clothing the homeless.

          1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

            With those beliefs, it's a pity he didn't have more hair, a beard and a cigar = he would have made a great student T-shirt

          2. Irony Deficient

            For one thing, he believed in elections.

            Not for Árbenz in Guatemala and Mosaddegh in Iran, he didn’t.

            For another, read his views on the military-industrial complex (aka, Republican welfare).

            Don’t forget the other warning in his 1961 farewell address:

            Akin to, and largely responsible for the sweeping changes in our industrial-military posture, has been the technological revolution during recent decades.

            In this revolution, research has become central; it also becomes more formalized, complex, and costly. A steadily increasing share is conducted for, by, or at the direction of, the Federal government.

            Today, the solitary inventor, tinkering in his shop, has been overshadowed by task forces of scientists in laboratories and testing fields. In the same fashion, the free university, historically the fountainhead of free ideas and scientific discovery, has experienced a revolution in the conduct of research. Partly because of the huge costs involved, a government contract becomes virtually a substitute for intellectual curiosity. For every old blackboard there are now hundreds of new electronic computers.

            The prospect of domination of the nation’s scholars by Federal employment, project allocations, and the power of money is ever present—and is gravely to be regarded. Yet, in holding scientific research and discovery in respect, as we should, we must also be alert to the equal and opposite danger that public policy could itself become the captive of a scientific-technological elite.

            1. Wellyboot Silver badge
              Facepalm

              Re: For one thing, he believed in elections.

              >>>captive of a scientific-technological elite<<<

              Well we've certainly dodged that bullet.

    3. John Brown (no body) Silver badge
      Coat

      "Dwight D. Eisenhower here. Perhaps the secret is to select a bald leader."

      William Hague?

      1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

        >William Hague?

        Is it just recent history bias but does Hague suddenly look like a towering intellect and a bastion of moral probity?

        1. John Brown (no body) Silver badge
          Thumb Up

          Based on recent UK political history, Hague will probably be remembered as "The best Prime Minister we never had" :-)

    4. R Soul Silver badge

      Bald leaders

      "Dwight D. Eisenhower here. Perhaps the secret is to select a bald leader."

      America tried that with Trump. It didn't end well.

      1. John Brown (no body) Silver badge
        Facepalm

        Re: Bald leaders

        His baldness was FAKE!!!!!

        Baldy icon --------------->

    5. Benegesserict Cumbersomberbatch Silver badge

      My warning to you from down south: Peter Dutton

  19. Snowy Silver badge
    Joke

    The 1922 committee

    A forward looking committee, looking 100 hundred years into the future. Seeing that they still think the years is 1922, but some of them think that is too modern and the yearn for a simpler think back in 1622. They want to bring back King Boris!!

    1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

      Re: The 1922 committee

      I think we all yearn for the king dissolving parliament, putting in place half a century of civil war and leading to parliamentary lord protector (offer not valid in Ireland)

      1. Snowy Silver badge
        Black Helicopters

        Re: The 1922 committee

        Will it be another King Charles doing it or will it be King Boris?

        The first Charles dissolved Parliament, the second restored the Monarchy what will the third do?

        1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

          Re: The 1922 committee

          We can only hope for beheading, just the other way around

          1. Irony Deficient

            We can only hope for beheading, just the other way around

            Do you mean that one can only hope for an enheading from His Majesty? Doubling the potential brain power of some hoopy frood of a future PM?

            1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

              Re: We can only hope for beheading, just the other way around

              I was thinking Charles III beheading the parliamentarian leader this time.

              1. jake Silver badge

                Re: We can only hope for beheading, just the other way around

                Put that on Pay Per View and solve all of the UK's financial problems in one swell foop.

            2. veti Silver badge

              Re: We can only hope for beheading, just the other way around

              You're saying David Icke was right?

              1. jake Silver badge

                Re: We can only hope for beheading, just the other way around

                You know what they say about stopped clocks.

  20. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Serious point amongst all this humour !!!

    This is a very serious juncture for the UK.

    We have shredded our hard earned reputation for Political & Financial integrity, all because the Conservative Party has a monomaniacal focus on the 'Party' before country.

    Their MP's lie, cheat and backstab for the glory of gaining the senior posts and the Pensions to go with them.

    The Torys have demonstrated that 'Party' comes before country so many times at any costs to us all that is has stopped being a joke.

    Our political system is broken almost to the point of being beyond repair.

    The voters are all fed up with the focus being on the 'game' and not on actually running the country.

    The country has been on auto-pilot for so long while the political game is being played.

    We really do need a GE, just to give the voters a chance to make their views known.

    All parties need to be given a wake-up call that Politics is more than a game that you play for a while before you take your job in the city !!!

    Real people and their jobs, pensions etc are the ones who are paying the price of these useless talentless hack politicians !!!

    God help us all !!!

    1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

      Re: Serious point amongst all this humour !!!

      Have you considered the Brussels solution ?

      No government for 2 years - but you still have beer, chocolate, waffles and chips (with mayonnaise)

      1. Lars Silver badge
        Happy

        Re: Serious point amongst all this humour !!!

        "No government for 2 years - but you still have beer, chocolate, waffles and chips (with mayonnaise)"

        And a higher GDP per capita, both nominal and ppp, than the British.

        Perhaps there is indeed a lot to that. How surprising.

    2. mark l 2 Silver badge

      Re: Serious point amongst all this humour !!!

      With the Tories repealing the fixed term parliament act and putting the power to call a GE back with the PM, even though all the opposition parties and probably a good amount of the electorate are wanting an GE there is no much that can be done about it. No incoming new Tory PM in their right mind would call an election now with their rating in the polls being the worst in 40 years.

      And I doubt even if Truss thinks her career in the cabinet is done for, she could call one as a last thing she did before leaving in a weeks time?

      1. Phil O'Sophical Silver badge

        Re: Serious point amongst all this humour !!!

        With the Tories repealing the fixed term parliament act

        Now, be fair, it was also Labour policy to repeal it. The Tories just got there first.

    3. Snowy Silver badge

      Re: Serious point amongst all this humour !!!

      The party does not come first, it is more me first maybe the party second followed a distance third everyone else.

    4. veti Silver badge

      Re: Serious point amongst all this humour !!!

      Meh. Voters get to make their views known from time to time, it doesn't actually seem to clarify very much. Remember the last last few elections, to say nothing of referendums?

      No, a GE at this point would get rid of the current bunch, but it wouldn't actually tell us anything about what the voters really want. To get that sort of information, you need an election in which there is more than one major issue being discussed.

    5. This post has been deleted by its author

    6. Lars Silver badge
      Pint

      Re: Serious point amongst all this humour !!!

      It won't help unless you mend the politial system of a two party country with a one party government held in place much by fptp.

  21. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Growth? Please take a look elsewhere......

    Since 1960 some countries have managed substantial "growth":

    - Link: https://knoema.com/mhrzolg/historical-gdp-by-country-statistics-from-the-world-bank-1960-2019

    How about choosing policies adopted by the USA or China?

    But no........2% per annum looks like a Tory "high growth" goal!!! Really??

  22. MJB7
    Headmaster

    Point of order Madam Author

    She is still Prime Minister, and will continue to be so until the Conservative Party have elected another victim leader

    1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

      Re: Point of order Madam Author

      >She is still Prime Minister

      what's latin for "last among equals" ?

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Point of order Madam Author

        Lizzium Trussicus

      2. Irony Deficient

        what’s latin for “last among equals” ?

        Ultimus inter pares. (To specifically refer to a female, ultima inter pares ; to specifically refer to a non-binary person, ultimum inter pares.)

      3. Mooseman Silver badge

        Re: Point of order Madam Author

        "what's latin for "last among equals" ?"

        ultima inter pares ?

        Or possibley Caput lactucae....

  23. Boris the Cockroach Silver badge
    Thumb Up

    This article

    Is suited to el-reg

    Ask yourself... why do you read it?

    Inform yourself of tech news

    Cringe at the who me?

    Facepalm at the on-call

    Bow down and worship the BOFH*

    An on-line compertion between a mouldy lettuce and the prime minister is exactly what this site needs

    plus we have 2 new units of time to measure with : 44 days will now be know as a 'truss' and 45 days will be known as a 'lettuce'

    *Remember where 2 or 3 are gathered in his name , they shall chant "All hail his bastardness"

    1. First Light

      Re: This article

      Well, Boris, are you back in the running or not?

      1. Boris the Cockroach Silver badge

        Re: This article

        I can neither confirm or deny whether I am considering running for PM again

        1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

          Re: This article

          But if persuaded by ones colleagues that one could best serve the country....

          1. Twanky

            Re: This article

            I'm sure he has absolutely no ambitions in that direction.

        2. Fruit and Nutcase Silver badge

          Re: This article

          Are you going to "Support your local Gun Fighter[MP]" ?

          PM 4 PM...?

        3. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: This article

          That's reportedly what the lettuce said too..

  24. martinusher Silver badge

    John Cleese? Cancelled?

    >Since Monty Python star John Cleese seems determined to demonstrate exactly how cancelled he is by appearing all over the media,

    One of the perks of old age (he's 82) is that you can say what the hell you like and you don't care about being cancelled. (Of course he's politically incorrect and needs to be re-educated.)

    From my humble perspective I think the notion is just a reflection on the appalling job we've done with education over the last 40 years or so. Back then the emphasis was on making "education more relevant to business" but what it really came down to was more rote learning, more emphasis on correctness and conformity and a lack of breadth --- teaching ceased to be education and became more about passing the test. (Adding in student fees and stuff just helped the process along.)

    The result is a rather humorless bunch who can't "think outside the box" and are generally incapable of putting ideas and concepts into context. They're not too hot on history. I'd say that Margaret Thatcher and Keith Joseph (among others) did a great job. (For those who know Ms Thatcher only as PM, then as education secretary what she was famous for was removing free milk for schoolchildren.....)

    Truss, BTW, is and was and always will be a nonentity. Her biggest mistake is not realizing who really runs the country.

    1. Snowy Silver badge
      Joke

      Re: John Cleese? Cancelled?

      Who really runs the country, would that be the civil service? I've seem the documentary Yes Minister and the follow up Yes, Prime Minister.

      1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

        Re: John Cleese? Cancelled?

        >Who really runs the country, would that be the civil service?

        I always assumed it was the cast of "I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue"

    2. Lars Silver badge
      Coat

      Re: John Cleese? Cancelled?

      Her biggest mistake was not realizing she is unfit for the task.

  25. StrangerHereMyself Silver badge

    Hahahaha

    I'm not sad to see her go. Her ignorance was simply astounding.

    Trickle-down economics doesn't work, as we've seen here in Europe until the late 19th century and in Africa still. The notion that if you give all the money to the rich things will work out OK is a logical fallacy.

    1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

      Re: Hahahaha

      > The notion that if you give all the money to the rich things will work out OK is a logical fallacy.

      I think that rather depends on one's personal circumstances rich-wise

    2. bregister

      Re: Hahahaha

      I kep reading that as tickle down economics and wondered did I miss something. Time for new glasses

    3. Mooseman Silver badge

      Re: Hahahaha

      And yet, depressingly (and perhaps given some of the comments not surprisingly) you get downvotes for that. Do they actually believe that trickle down works? As far as I cant see the only way it works is that the rich are peeing on those below them.

    4. CrazyOldCatMan Silver badge

      Re: Hahahaha

      Trickle-down economics doesn't work

      It's telling when the leader of the world's biggest capitalist country is firmly of the opinion that it doesn't work and never has..

  26. Winkypop Silver badge

    VOTE 1

    Mr Gumby

    (His brain hurts)

  27. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    It is really great to see that holding the EU Referendum finally ended the chaos and division in the Conservative party.

    1. SundogUK Silver badge
      FAIL

      Because the global COVID pandemic, Russian invasion of Ukraine and consequent global energy crisis has nothing to do with this at all, obviously.

      1. Mooseman Silver badge

        "Because the global COVID pandemic, Russian invasion of Ukraine and consequent global energy crisis has nothing to do with this at all, obviously."

        No, not really - how did any of that affect the insanity of the Truss minibudget? And you're ignoring the effect of brexit on the UK economy (worse than covid at its peak and far far longer)

        Still, I expect you believe in trickle down and the tooth fairy too.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        The only link to COVID is that it showed that Boris thought the rules (that he passed!) didn't apply to him. Apart from that, the infighting and dysfunction is nothing to do with anything you quoted. The various factions in the party simply hate each other. The referendum was supposed to fix all this and obviously failed.

        As for the disaster of picking Truss as PM. There can only be two possible explanations. The party members either:

        * Truly believed that her mental "cut tax and borrow a fuck ton of money to pay for it" policy would actually work

        * Didn't want to pick "the brown one"

        So financially illiterate or racist. Which is it?

  28. Phil Kingston
    Facepalm

    I mean, had IT even finished setting up all her accounts?

    Of particular concern is the sheer number of ex- Prime Ministers who must now have nuclear launch codes too.

    1. jake Silver badge

      "Of particular concern is the sheer number of ex- Prime Ministers who must now have nuclear launch codes too."

      I'm absolutely certain that's not an issue.

    2. This post has been deleted by its author

  29. Lordrobot

    She walks away with a beautiful Pension for life...

    Fully vested in 44 day... Forget the Lettuce... that's a lot of cabbage...

    1. Snowy Silver badge
      Facepalm

      Re: She walks away with a beautiful Pension for life...

      Seat in the house of lords too?

    2. Fruit and Nutcase Silver badge
      Thumb Down

      Re: She walks away with a beautiful Pension for life...

      In addition to the ongoing funding of that, the country has to pick up the bill for her misadventure - of around £1 Billion of each of those 44 days. The real figure is almost certainly higher

    3. Fruit and Nutcase Silver badge

      Re: She walks away with a beautiful Pension for life...

      Looks like Blair is the last PM who has benefited from the special PM's pension.

      https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/oct/21/liz-truss-entitlement-ex-prime-ministers-yearly-grant-sparks-fury

      Truss’s pension will not receive any extra boost from her time in Downing Street. Since 2013, prime ministers have been part of the regular ministerial pension scheme, paying in a certain proportion of their salary while the government contributes too.

      Blair is understood to have been the last prime minister to avail of a special prime minister’s pension. Brown and Cameron decided to forgo the scheme and choose to join the general one, before doing so became law in 2013.

  30. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Author approved

    For mention of J. L. Borges,

  31. batt-geek

    Conservatives need a Francis Urquart to bring the party together and get 'em back on track

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Urquhart

  32. Trigun

    Bah

    What a complete fiasco. During covid I had a feeling that the Conservatives would be done afterwards, as any party or leader linked with a major societally negative event gets ousted eventually - people just want to remove unpleasant reminders. The only thng keeping them in longer was a silent majority feeling that the other parties weren't viable/a choice. However, Conservatives own infighting has defeated them. Perhaps I shouldn't be too surprised what with all of the contentions in 2014 *still* rumbling on.

    "Since Monty Python star John Cleese seems determined to demonstrate exactly how cancelled he is by appearing all over the media"

    Personally, I admire the fact that he is standing up for his beliefs in the face of a bunch of censorious people who think that only their opinions should be heard.

    1. Mooseman Silver badge

      Re: Bah

      ""Since Monty Python star John Cleese seems determined to demonstrate exactly how cancelled he is by appearing all over the media"

      Personally, I admire the fact that he is standing up for his beliefs in the face of a bunch of censorious people who think that only their opinions should be heard."

      Except he isnt - he is sitting in multiple studios whining how the company/corporation that runs those studios is cancelling him. He's all over the media ike a rash. And frankly all he is saying (whe not whining about how unfair it all is) is that there are too many foreign types in Britain now. No wonder he's scampered off to Gbeebies.

  33. Schultz
    Stop

    1 Merkel equal to approximately 140 Trusses

    But what is that in lettuces? I hope they didn't stop the experiment simply because one of the contestants dropped out!

  34. jgarbo
    Devil

    The Yanks had the right idea after WW2

    Buy Britain, for what, couple of million, turn it into a history museum and charge $100 entry, and park their nukes free. Oh...they did.

  35. prandeamus

    Independent Scrutiny

    It may not be an IT legacy exactly, but as was pointed out on Radio 4's Today programme this morning, the online vote of Tory members lacks strong third-party scrutiny. You can be 16 years old, in fact you could be a member of the party with no voting rights in a general election, and still be able to cast a vote. While I would defend such people's right to be a member of a private organisation in the general case, the lack of independent scrutiny for the leadership vote is a concern. If the member's vote should be close (let's say, 52/48?) such concerns would undermine the legitimacy of the result.

    There's a technicality in that the PM is technically chosen by the crown, but I don't see the King intervening, or for that matter intervening in any way that would be constructive.

    In an additional irony overload, I don't think any of these Tory chaps have to show a photo ID card to vote.

  36. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    The problem with the "Merkel"...

    ... is that it looked stable, but eventually it decays into a Putin emitting a Schroeder. And both of them are far more radioactive and have a far longer half life.

    But let's see what a "Truss" decays into - very unstable, it should have been the "Kwarteng" field - even if was the outcome of a "Johnson" meltdown already.

    1. Mooseman Silver badge

      Re: The problem with the "Merkel"...

      "eventually it decays into a Putin emitting a Schroeder."

      Surely the Schroeder particle decays into a Merkel?

  37. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Anthony Scaramucci had a measurement too.

    He was reported to have measured her time in Scaramuccis. Given his tenure, Truss' time in office worked out to be 4.1 Scaramuccis.

    He also observed that she at least outlasted the milk in teh refrigerator, something he didn't manage.

    Say what you want, at least he has a sense of humo(u)r. No wonder he didn't last long.

  38. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    As someone who was, perhaps unfortunately, at school with her, I can confirm that she has always been a complete idiot.

  39. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Liz Truss ousted

    Boris Johnson insted...

  40. Lars Silver badge
    Happy

    Now that she is gone

    We can afford a few kind words I think.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIh7XJVxCAY

  41. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Upper Class Twit of the Year

    Voting is very tight this year.

  42. Jonathon Green
    Trollface

    Lettuce Prey

    Content? We don’ need no steering content…

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