Liz Truss Lost a Battle Against a Head of Lettuce

UK Prime Minister Liz Truss is in a hotly-contested competition with an iceberg lettuce, battling it out to see who will outlast the other. As of October 20, Truss’ resignation after just 45 days in office gave the win to the lettuce.

The contest was begun by British tabloid The Daily Star, asking in a tweet who would last longer. Now, the question has escalated into a live stream of a picture of Truss and an entire lettuce, decorated with a wig, google eyes, and a charming grin.

With the lettuce left outside of a refrigerator, its days are surely numbered – but the same can be said for the Prime Minister. Despite only being a few weeks into her term, Truss faced immense pressure, having already sacked and replaced her Chancellor. This culminated in Truss making an announcement in front of Downing Street, confirming she would be stepping down from the role.

Why Did Liz Truss Step Down?

A number of factors led to party support for Truss coming crashing down. The controversial economic package that Truss promised during her campaign was quickly reversed by the new Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt. His appointment, designed to strengthen Truss’ Cabinet, only served to weaken her own authority, with rumours circulating in Westminster that Hunt is now the real power in Downing Street.

A number of Conservative MPs called for Liz Truss to step down, with other requests from outside the party for a general election to be held. Some are even saying that former Prime Minister Boris Johnson would be a preferable alternative to Liz Truss.

As the UK heads into what will undoubtedly be a hard winter, faced with energy shortages, high costs for daily essentials, and the knock-on effects of Brexit, many felt that Liz Truss was simply not up to the job – not the majority of people in her Cabinet.

Secretary of State Suella Braverman was the latest to jump the apparently sinking ship ahead of Truss’ resignation. This comes just days after Braverman blamed “tofu-eating” liberals for the situation the UK government is currently facing, disregarding the fact that it has been her own party that was in charge for the last 12 years.

In the meantime, the live stream has earned Liz Truss the nickname of ‘The Iceberg Lady’, a play on her political hero Margaret Thatcher’s nickname of the Iron Lady. It’s likely not the legacy that she hoped to leave behind, but as her time as Prime Minister only lasted 45 short days, it might be the one that she’s stuck with.

(featured image: Carl Court/Getty Images)