Liz Truss's time as prime minister summed up with Taylor Swift song titles | indy100

Roundup of every time Keir Starmer teased Liz Truss during PMQs

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Liz Truss has resigned after a turbulent 44 days on the job, making her the shortest-serving prime minister in UK history (but also the only self-proclaimed Swiftie in Number 10).

It was a Cruel Summer when the Tories were looking for a replacement for Boris Johnson, but Truss managed to win the leadership contest in Style, defeating Rishi Sunak - but never in our Wildest Dreams could we predict what was coming.

The soon-to-be ex-PM has often spoke of her love for Taylor Swift and even managed to quote some lyrics from her song "The Man" during a debate in Parliament during International Women's Day in March 2020.

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Truss - who was then the Minister for Women and Equalities - spoke of the obstacles women encounter: "In the words of the brilliant Taylor Swift in her new song, women aren't left 'running as fast as they can, wondering if they'd get there quicker if they were a man'".

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She even has a photo with the popstar taken at the BAFTA after-party at London's Grosvenor House in February 2019 and used Swift's lyrics in her Insta captions.

Given her resignation announcement - and the imminent launch of Swift's new album Midnights this evening - it was only right to sum up Truss's short-lived time in office with some appropriate Taylor Swift song titles:

Begin Again

We begin with this laidback ballad from Swift's 2012 album "Red" about moving on with a fresh start with a new love after a bad breakup, and it could be said that's what Truss was hoping for as the new prime minister after Boris Johnson's fall from grace.

Though what did in fact "Begin Again" was the political drama...

I Did Something Bad

This song is from Swift's 2017 album "reputation," and it's fair to say Truss's reputation took a hit as she did indeed do something bad at the start of her tenure in the form of backing Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng's controversial mini-Budget announcement, but while Swift sings about why it "feels so good," Truss can't exactly say the same, as it caused the pound to tank

"I'd do it over and over and over again if I could," are some of the lyrics, but not for Truss who ended up having to U-turn most of the plans in the mini-Budget such as abandoning their plan to abolish the 45 per cent top rate of income tax and reverse planned cuts to business tax.

Don't Blame Me

While Swift asks not to be blamed for falling in love in this song also from "reputation", Truss also didn't want to be blamed for the pound tanking after the mini-Budget was announced.

So the PM said that the decision to cut income tax for the richest was made by Chancellor Kwarteng and not Cabinet.

"No, no, we didn't. It was a decision the Chancellor made," she told the BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg.

Nadine Dorries, the former culture secretary accused Truss of throwing Kwarteng "under a bus" with her comments.

Kwarteng would later be sacked by Truss and replaced by Jeremy Hunt as Chancellor.

Blank Space

Swift's playful lyrics from this "1989" album track describe the highs and lows of a tumultuous short-lived relationship.

Unfortunately for Truss, there haven't exactly been many highs since she became prime minister in September.

The "long list of ex-lovers," is perhaps comparable to the number of sackings and resignations we've had this year alone (Truss herself now added to this list).

With "Blank Space" referring to a replacement, this sounds all too familiar...

Given the scandals and resignation of predecessor Boris Johnson, and now Liz Truss has resigned it looks like there will be yet another blank space in Number 10.

End Game

While "End Game" in Swift's feel-good tune off of her "reputation" album means a particular romantic couple is meant to be together, the expression can also mean the final stage of something... in this instance Truss's premiership by all accounts.

"Tory MP texts: 'It's happening. We are in the end game,'" Times Radio host Matt Chorley tweeted.

The Tories said it themselves.

it's time to go

This bonus track from "evermore" which describes souring relationships and knowing when it's right to leave a situation.

"That will find you the right thing/ And you know in your soul/ You know in your soul/ When it's time to go," Swift sings, and after all the policy U-turns, sackings, resignations, economic mayhem and losing public opinion, we can all agree it was time for Truss to go.

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