Tag Archives: Liz Truss

PM, Politics, and Poor Performers

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Well, I did put a post in drafts for today, but I rather think that events of the day have superseded that. It’s been a record-breaking time for British Politics. First Kwasi Kwarteng resigned. He was pretty poor as Chancellors go, though I’m not sure he was the worst. He wasn’t even the shortest serving as Ian McLeod died after just thirty days in office – Kwarteng managed to cling on for 38. Then we had Suella Braverman. I hadn’t even heard of her until the last leadership election. As a result of what I imagine was a deal of some sort, she became Home Secretary. She just left, as I remarked yesterday. Unlike Kwarteng, who couldn’t manage the economy and couldn’t manage top set a new record, Braverman did set a record by becoming the shortest serving modern Home Secretary.

And now Truss . . .

Despite serious opposition from George Canning, who died in office after 119 days. It was a difficult record to break, particularly for a healthy person, but she has done it in some style, shattering Canning’s record by a good margin. It will take a PM of stunning incompetence or really bad health to break that one. Even the Master of Mendacity (or Prince of Porky Pies if you prefer rhyming slang) Boris the Bumbling Blonde Buffoon managed 3 years and 44 days.

Of course, Boris might yet bounce back. Stranger things have happened. It’s just so embarrassing that our Politicians are so bad we even make the septics look good. That’s rhyming slang again. Here, I’ll show you.

Pennies, Parsnips and Prime Ministers

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Julia has just returned home bearing parsnips. She managed to find some in Marks & Spencer, which means tonight’s meal can have a proper balance of root vegetables. I cannot believe we are actually short of something I have taken for granted over the last 64 years. It’s very unsettling, next someone will be telling me that the Conservative party is no longer the home of fiscal responsibility and safe hands for the economy . . .

Talking of which, Liz Truss has to last another 78 days to avoid becoming the shortest serving British Prime Minister in history. George Canning currently holds that distinction, but to be fair, he was hindered in his premiership by dying. I’m not sure which way I would bet if called upon to make a wager on her chances of survival, but you have to wonder if it’s worth her ordering her official Christmas cards just yet.

Discussion in the shop today included whether the questions on University Challenge are getting easier. We think they are, because we are generally finding them easier to answer. As none of us are getting younger or brighter this tends to suggest that the question quality is declining.

At the moment, people seem to be wanting to sell things. We bought a great accumulation this morning. It had belonged to the father of the two brothers who brought it in, and had lain dormant for about twenty years. It wasn’t a collection as such, he had just kept all the coins and other similar junk he had come across aver the years. We were surprised to find a half sovereign amongst the clutter of old copper coins. Not very surprised because it’s happened before, but it’s always nice when it happens. However, we were more surprised to find another half dozen spread through the layers of junk. It ended up well into four figures.

Then we had a collection of modern sets, which was reasonable money, though not as interesting, and while that was in progress a lady came in and sold us a few other bits. It was a more modest selection in an old biscuit time, but she still walked out with an extra £50 in her purse.

Just to balance things up we had a couple of good coin sales to replace some of the cash.