Liz Truss ousted as UK prime minister, outlived by online lettuce
- Reference: 1666276421
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2022/10/20/prime_minister_liz_truss_resigns/
- Source link:
Then no-holds-barred tabloid the Daily Star ran with the idea, broadcasting [1]a live online feed of an actual [2]lettuce decaying in real-time next to a photo of the British Prime Minister. Could the lettuce last longer than Truss, whose political future appeared doomed?
Now, the salad veg appears to have won, looking a little shoddy but at a stretch still edible next to Truss, who is totally finished: she resigned as leader of the Conservative Party and Prime Minister this afternoon, UK time. She was officially in power for just 44 days.
[3]
This departure comes after she sacked the UK Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng mid-October for implementing her pisspoor package of tax cuts, and replaced him with Jeremy Hunt, who was then seen as the de facto ruler. Then her Home Secretary was pushed out, some more U-turns, mild chaos in Parliament, and then some.
Zero Truss Architecture
Truss's decision to quit followed a meeting with Sir Graham Brady, chairman of [4]the 1922 Committee .
For those who might assume such a thing emerged fully formed from a Monty Python sketch or the pages of a Borges short story, the 1922 Committee is a group of Conservative Party Members of Parliament who do not sit on the front bench (the leadership team either in government or opposition). Members of the group provide a way for backbenchers to co-ordinate and discuss their views independently of the party leadership. This being Britain, it of course began as a small dining group of new members elected in 1922.
[5]
[6]
If enough Conservative MPs do not support the party leader, they can have them removed via a process run by the 1922 Committee. Both Truss, and her predecessors Boris Johnson and Theresa May, were removed this way… in less than four years.
Readers may remember Johnson resigned in July. Having been in power for two and a half years, he at least [7]left enough of a tech legacy for The Register to review.
[8]
Lasting just six weeks, Truss gives us no such option. But, as one [9]keen tech copywriter pointed out, it at least gives us a minimum unit of political tenure, with 1 Merkel equal to approximately 140 Trusses, something The Register can at least add to its [10]weights and measures standards converter .
[11]UK politico proposes site for prototype nuclear fusion plant
[12]Bank of England puts cloud analytics on todo list after seeing off market collapse
[13]Post-Brexit 'science superpower' UK still hasn't appointed a science minister
[14]Rest in peace, Queen Elizabeth II – Britain's first high-tech monarch
[15]UK govt refuses to give up on scoring Arm dual-listing for London
The Conservative Party will now go through a leadership candidate selection process with Members of Parliament, and then to a vote of its own party members, repeating the process through which it selected Truss, the prospect of which leaves most of the British population considering the more palatable option of eating their own heads.
At least the process is promised to take less than a week this time, rather than the six weeks it took to select Truss.
Since Monty Python star John Cleese seems [16]determined to demonstrate exactly how cancelled he is by appearing all over the media, perhaps the former Minister for Silly Walks would consider a return to frontline politics. Surely it couldn't be any worse? Could it? ®
Get our [17]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sm-RE95lKJ0
[2] https://www.economist.com/leaders/2022/10/11/liz-truss-has-made-britain-a-riskier-bet-for-bond-investors
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/bootnotes&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2Y1HE9g9AMlFix8UD7G1c7wAAAAo&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[4] https://www.parliament.uk/site-information/glossary/1922-committee-the-22/
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/bootnotes&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Y1HE9g9AMlFix8UD7G1c7wAAAAo&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/bootnotes&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33Y1HE9g9AMlFix8UD7G1c7wAAAAo&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2022/07/07/boris_johnson_tech_legacy/
[8] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/bootnotes&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Y1HE9g9AMlFix8UD7G1c7wAAAAo&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[9] https://twitter.com/DerBren/status/1583079633645289474
[10] https://www.theregister.com/Design/page/reg-standards-converter.html
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2022/10/05/reesmogg_proposes_site_for_prototype/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2022/10/03/bank_of_england_dta_analytics/
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2022/09/28/uk_science_minitser_role_empty/
[14] https://www.theregister.com/2022/09/08/queen_elizabeth_dies/
[15] https://www.theregister.com/2022/09/16/uk_government_refuses_to_give/
[16] https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/oct/11/john-cleese-broadcast-cancelled-bbc
[17] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Re: If a mistake is bad enough ...
Her election campaign lasted longer than her tenure as Prime Minister...
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
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
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).
Re: If a mistake is bad enough ...
So .... are you implying the conservative party is not competent to vote for their own leader ?
Re: If a mistake is bad enough ...
He's implying that Tories aren't competent.
He's correct.
Re: If a mistake is bad enough ...
They have plenty of recent experience so should be seasoned pros by now.
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.
Obvious solution
Introduce conscription - everyone is forced to be prime minister in turn, at gun point
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?
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 [1]sortition . That way only 50% would be below average intelligence/competence/criminality/...
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sortition
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.
Re: Obvious solution
Anyone who wants to be the leader of a major country should be automatically disqualified from the job.
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.
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
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.”
Re: Obvious solution
>>>who would want this poison pill in this party or any other?
Plenty of power-hungry sociopaths to choose from still.
Re: Obvious solution
Every time we get rid of one I think a stake through the heart just to make sure is in order.
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.
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.
Re: Obvious solution
But how could you prevent political parties emerging? you can't really prevent free association with like-minded people.
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"
Re: Obvious solution
You know... Trump may be available.
Re: Obvious solution
Take him. Please. We'll pay you to take him.
Re: Obvious solution
So the punishment for sedition is to be made British Prime-minister?
Seems harsh
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).
As an argie, joining Monty Python and Borges in one sentence made my day, if not the week, month or even the whole year.
>made my day, if not the week, month or even the whole year.
So we're friends now ?
Yeap...just forget the hand of god
Export please!
I'm thinking other countries would benefit from this 1922 group of political assassins! A lot of them!
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
Re: Export please!
As opposed to the 1911 committee where they just give you a pistol and one bullet
Re: Export please!
How about 1812? With cannons?
Re: Export please!
1066, with an arrow?
Re: Export please!
Time flies like and arrow, and all that?
1066, with an arrow?
The 66,000,000 BC Committee, with a candlestick in the library an asteroid?
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
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.
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 !
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.
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)
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.
General Election
If the new government (led by whoever Prime Minister) followed roughly the [1]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] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2019-50524262
"Democracy doesn't count when I disagree with the outcome"
That's the MAGA Republicans' position in a nutshell.
Although rather more eloquently and with multiple syllables
So, more like "Not win. Stole vote. Vote wrong!!"
"Democracy doesn't count when I disagree with the outcome"
Username checks out...
Please help me here
Just what is this article doing on a tech blog? Was
it posted here by mistake?
If a mistake is bad enough ...
> repeating the process through which it selected Truss
... it's worth repeating.