Today, Explained

Truss fall

Oct 20, 2022

Tom McTague, London correspondent for The Atlantic, dives into the chaotic and brief premiership of Liz Truss, who holds the record for the shortest time in office. He humorously highlights a tabloid’s comparison of her tenure to a lettuce that outlasted her. The conversation covers the fallout from her controversial tax cuts, the resulting financial turmoil, and intense public outrage. McTague also discusses the political vacuum left behind and the potential paths forward for the Conservative Party in the UK's turbulent political landscape.

27:16

Episode guests

Tom McTague

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Intro

2min

Political Turmoil in the UK: The Truss Gamble

12min

Navigating Polarization in Contemporary Society

2min

Political Unrest and Leadership Changes in the UK

4min

Political Turmoil and Leadership Aspirations

7min

Liz Truss accomplished at least one thing in her 45 days as prime minister: She set a record for the shortest term in office. The Atlantic’s Tom McTague explains her disastrous tenure.

This episode was produced by Miles Bryan and Avishay Artsy, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Paul Robert Mounsey, and hosted by Noel King.

Correction, October 21: An earlier version of the episode misattributed a quote to British politician Penny Mordaunt. The error has been corrected.

Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained

Support Today, Explained by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts

Save insights instantly, chat with episodes, and build lasting knowledge - all powered by AI.