From Truss to Johnson, former chaos-mongers are sure none of it is remotely their fault. In fact, the time is ripe for a comeback
It’s encouraging to see Liz Truss hoving back into view, after a period in the wilderness only slightly longer than that endured by the OG messiah. And, indeed, only slightly longer than her entire premiership. As one ally told the Financial Times of her abortive adventures in the public finances this week: “Liz believes that the policy was right but she didn’t get the political backing she needed.” Erm. Does that quite cover it? Having failed to get backing from her colleagues, the markets, business, the Bank of England, the public and experts from the Institute for Fiscal Studies and beyond, Liz was arguably a full six infinity stones short of a gauntlet.
Still, it feels inevitable that another betrayal narrative should be cranking up. You can never have too many, can you? Having accidentally divested itself of various of its other manufacturing industries, the UK is now world-beating in producing betrayal narratives, with supporters of any number of the politicians who played a part in the rolling chaos of the past seven years still claiming that their standard bearer was falsely victimised by people who simply lacked their vision. British politics throws the best pity parties. Consider us the Valhalla of misunderstood heroes.
Marina Hyde is a Guardian columnist
