Social media denounces Liz Truss as ‘thick’ but reveres Blair and Brown

In recent days I have seen Liz Truss described on social media as “thick”, as we have done regularly with Angela Rayner. Conversely, the same people revere Tony Blair and Gordon Brown as great oracles of wisdom.

The truth, however, is that Blair and Brown – despite inheriting a solid economy – left the country with a trillion pound debt and greater wealth inequality.

So, who is really “thick” here? Or is this just proof of how misogynistic some people in the country are?

Richard Whiteside

Halifax

The destruction caused by the war in Ukraine continues to be devastating. Whether blame is assigned to Vladimir Putin’s aggression or Volodymyr Zelensky’s misguided Nato ambition may be of little relevance to all those losing their lives, their friends and relatives.

The election of a new British prime minister may be a unique opportunity to change direction, engage with both sides, and push for an immediate end to the war rather than pursuing a fight to the end conflict.

Bambos Charalambous

Manchester

Liz Truss has gifted Vladimir Putin the mechanism to bankrupt Britain. The more the price of energy goes up, the more the burden on the treasury, and the lower the pound will fall, further increasing energy prices largely denominated in US dollars.

By choosing not to share the costs of holding energy prices down by a windfall tax on the primary beneficiaries, as well as on the national debt, she has shifted the responsibility to our children and grandchildren.

The only ray of sunshine in this is that she will fail, and be forced to reconsider.

Chris King

London

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Tom Peck asks the question: “Should the government seize the massive profits but expect them [the energy companies] to weather the massive losses themselves?” It is a fair question, but fails to take into account the crucial fact that those losses can be carried forward by the energy companies and used to offset future profits to lower their tax bills in profitable years. The untaxed profits, once the opportunity to tax them has passed, accrue to the companies and their shareholders.

The government has the opportunity to abate the cost of its market intervention by taxing the beneficiaries of that market. Whether it chooses to seize that opportunity will tell us if it is the true heir of pragmatic Thatcherism as Liz Truss would have us believe, or a parody of that creed.

Robin Bulow

Clacton-on-Sea