Lettuce Liz blames three sector ‘Blob’ for ruining economic system somewhat than herself

On Dec 28, 2024

In an interview for the Wall Street Journal, the country’s shortest-serving PM has weighed in on the UK economy, and is pointing the blame at a sector of government

13:10, 28 Dec 2024

Lettuce Liz blames three sectors ‘Blob’ for ruining economy rather than herself(Image: Getty Images)

Liz Truss has blamed the Civil Service for the UK economy ‘stagnating’.

Whilst only having served as Prime Minister for 49 days in 2022, Liz Truss remains fresh in the British public’s mind. The Tory politician is famed both for her short tenure that failed to outlast a Daily Star lettuce, and, in the Guardian ‘s words: “[plunging] the UK to the brink of recession in just one month”.

But the former leader has pointed the finger elsewhere in a interview for a Wall Street Journal documentary series, WSJ Opinion. Liz Truss spoke about her time in office and criticised the Civil Service, known informally as the Blob.

The 49-year-old illustrated her disappointment after joining Downing Street. She alleges that her plan to reform Britain’s economic system was thwarted by the Civil Service.

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Liz Truss has pointed the blame at the Civil Service for the UK economy’s regression(Image: PA)

Liz shared: “I think the Blob describes [something] wider than just the government. It’s a groupthink shared by senior media executives, senior corporate executives [and] civil servants.

“Wouldn’t it be better if experts and technocrats were running everything? That’s a whole shared belief system. Big spending, big government, big taxes, big immigration.”

Truss went on to explain that she placed confidence in the US’ economy, and looked to replicate that for the UK: “I looked across the Atlantic and I could see policies that were working, such as tax cuts, deregulation, fracking, and I was frustrated that weren’t able to implement those policies in Britain.

Former PM Liz Truss explained that she was inspired by the US’ economy and wished to replicate parts of it for the UK(Image: PA)

“So I ran on a ticket of change, of removing Britain truly from the European orbit.” Previously a Remain campaigner, Truss later became a staunch Brexiter, but did not stick around to see the consequences of withdrawal.

But after push-back from the govenrment and the Bank of England, Truss felt she had no choice but to reverse her policies: “Ultimately, what I was told was that if we didn’t reverse the corporation tax cuts, we would not be able to fund government gilts.

“What do I mean by that? I mean the government wouldn’t be able to fund its debt, and there would be an economic crisis in Britain.

Liz Truss has explained that her plans for shaking up the economy were thwarted by the Bank of England(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Now, the former PM is warning others of the current political system. She told the WSJ: “[The Blob] were in a more powerful position than I was.

“It wasn’t a democratic outcome, and I don’t believe it was an outcome that was in the interest of the people of Britain. We need to change the system u0097 not just in the United Kingdom, but right across the West.

“There’s so much power now held, that isn’t held by democratically elected politicians, that we need a bigger bazooka to take on that level of consensus and groupthink. We simply didn’t have it.”

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WSJ Opinion: The Prime Minister vs. The Blob: Liz Truss’s 44 Days in Office i s available to watch now on WSJ Video.

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