Your support helps us to tell the story
This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.
The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.
Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.
Chrissy Teigen has taken an interest in British politics and wants to learn more about the UK’s new prime minister, Liz Truss.
The model took to Twitter to ask her 13.2m followers to clue her in on Truss, who replaced Boris Johnson’s position as prime minister on Tuesday (6 September) after meeting the Queen at Balmoral.
“Can someone explain Liz Truss to me, like I’m five?” Teigen, 36, asked. “I don’t know a thing and am looking to learn, thank you.”
Her followers quickly obliged, pointing her towards various explainer videos, podcasts and articles to help clear up her confusion.
Others tried to sum the country’s new leader up in 280 characters, with some comparing her to Margaret Thatcher.
Truss, 47, was elected as the new leader of the Conservative party and prime minister by 172,437 party members, who account for around 0.3 per cent of the British population.
Throughout the leadership contest against former chancellor Rishi Sunak, Truss was widely criticised for failing to address how she plans to solve the cost of living crisis and defending tax cuts for the wealthy as “fair”.
Her interest in politics began while studying at Merton College, Oxford, where she was president of the Oxford University Liberal Democrats.
But in 1996, when she graduated, she joined the Conservatives. Truss only entered politics professionally in 2010 when she became Tory MP for South West Norfolk – a seat she has held ever since.
Truss also fought for the UK to remain in the European Union during Brexit, but swapped sides soon after and is now a staunch defender of the split from the EU.
Her changing of stances has earned her accusation of being a “shape shifter”, as some Twitter users pointed out to Teigen.
“Politician that’s changed her stance on pretty much every policy/political leaning she’s had over her entire career in order to appeal to whomever benefits her the most at the time,” one person explained.
Another summarised: “New PM. Used to be a Liberal Democrat as a young adult. When elected to Parliament, she was a sensible centrist Conservative who campaigned against Brexit.
“Is now fully pro-leave and no longer a centrist (though not extreme either). In short, she’s a shapeshifter.”
It is unclear why Teigen was keen to learn more about Truss, and the TV personality, who is married to singer John Legend, has not tweeted about her since asking about Truss on Wednesday (7 September).
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments