Liz Truss has returned to our screens with the launch of her very own talk show, marking a political comeback just over three years after her record-breaking 49 days as Prime Minister.
Truss opens the series by warning of what she and her guests describe as national decline, focusing on the economy, immigration, public services, and national identity.
“This show is going to lift the lid on what is really going on,” she says, promising viewers an unvarnished account of “exactly how bad it is.”
Future episodes, she adds, will explore those responsible for Britain’s alleged decline, while also offering “optimism and hope” about the country’s future. Truss says the programme will feature first-hand accounts from what she calls “witnesses to the fall of Britain.”
She suggests that optimism may be rooted in political movements elsewhere, pointing specifically to the “Trump revolution” in the US and discussing the potential for similar ideas to influence UK politics.
Episode one, titled London is Falling, sets the stage for the series’ mix of critique, debate, and proposed solutions.
Here are the key takeaways so far.
Britain is portrayed as being in national decline
Truss and her guests repeatedly portray the UK as facing severe economic and social decline.
The episode highlights economic stagnation, struggling town centres, struggling independent businesses, pressures on public services and policing, and even instances of people attempting at-home dental procedures because they cannot get appointments.
“You’d have to be watching the fake news BBC or living on Elon Musk’s Mars mission to not know Britain is going to hell in a handcart,” Truss declares as she opens the show.
She and her guests go on to explore what they see as the causes of this decline and how they might be addressed.
The issue of the ‘ruling elite’
Truss and her first guest, British conservative political commentator, Matt Goodwin, argue that Britain’s problems are driven by a “new ruling elite” that dominates major institutions.
Goodwin contrasts this with what he describes as an older British elite, which he characterises as “custodians of the nation”.
He claims the new elite is driven by what he calls “suicidal empathy”, extending compassion, tolerance, and diversity “at the expense of the country”.
“It’s a very morally righteous framework,” he tells Truss, “and one that, ultimately, I think is destroying our country.”
Liz Truss echoes this theme, accusing parts of the political class of what she calls “self-loathing” and a growing reluctance to be associated with Britain.
Their conversation then turns to Conservatism and how it has changed over time, while Goodwin notes how politics has become more polarised in recent years.
A major focus of the episode is immigration. Introducing broadcaster and TV presenter Alex Phillips, Liz Truss asks her bluntly, “How bad is it?” in reference to migration.
“We have this unprecedented inundation of our island from cultures that frankly really struggle to assimilate with our own,” Phillips responds.
Truss and Phillips then discuss grooming gangs and terror risks, which they attribute to mass migration.
Truss presses Phillips further, asking, “What kind of terror threat do you think we’ve got now in Britain?” to which Phillips replies, “It’s only a matter of time until something really bad happens.”
Calls for radical political change
Truss and her guests argue that traditional party politics have failed and that Britain is entering a “watershed moment”.
“We are living through a watershed moment where the 20th century and the politics that govern the 20th century are now rapidly making way for something entirely different,” Goodwin tells Truss.
Truss responds by welcoming that shift, adding: “I welcome that because I think this country needs a massive shakeup.”
The show positions itself as a platform for what Truss calls a “counter revolution”.
Truss and her second guest speaker Podcaster Peter McCormack discuss the challenge of engaging younger voters, while Truss expresses optimism about Gen Z, calling them “the ones who are going to save us.”
Peter McCormack notes that it’s currently “not cool to be a Conservative” among young people, emphasising the need to make conservative politics appealing to the younger generation if they are to influence the future direction of the country.
“We have to somehow sell Conservatism economics to the young people in this country,” says McCormack.
New episodes of The Liz Truss show drop every Friday at 6pm GMT.
