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ONE OF THE quirks of Liz Truss brief stint as British Prime Minister is that for the remainder of her life she will be invited to all manner of important events.
See, for example, her presence at the coronation of King Charles III or her laying a wreath at the Cenotaph along with six other former PMs on Remembrance Sunday.
These perks may or may not be worth the constant reminder of her 49 days in office but, speaking today in Dublin at least, she will never be allowed to forget it.
Truss was the big ticket draw on the first day of the European Broadcasting Union’s News Xchange conference in the Convention Centre.
Even in introducing their keynote interview, a task that is usually full of platitudes, the EBU’s Director General Noel Curran made reference to Truss’ disastrous seven weeks in office.
What followed was an acerbic 40-minute interview conducted by RTÉ’s David McCullagh.
At one point the broadcaster raised the infamous Liz Truss lettuce in successive questions, prompting the human Truss to snap.
“What’s the relevance of that question?” she said in response to the first and then secondly giving her verdict on the lettuce and whether she could see the funny side in hindsight.
“I don’t think it was particularly funny, I think it’s puerile,” she said.
The chat between the pair rattled along through a variety of topics from her use of social media to how the media covers politics and indeed Boris Johsnon.
McCullagh however was keen to focus on Truss and her tenure in Number 10.
In case you don’t remember, Truss replaced Johnson as PM after she was voted Conservative leader by a party membership who bought into her vision of a lower tax economy, particularly for the well-off.
Her controversial mini-budget, which included the abolition of the 45% tax rate on earnings over £150,000 and a cut to corporation tax, spooked the markets, sent the pound plummeting, and forced a £65 billion intervention by the Bank of England.
It also forced Truss to sack her chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng before Tory MPs then decided to dispense with Truss herself.
The mini-Budget, McCullagh put it to her, could be described as “an audacious gamble at best, foolhardy at worst”.
Perhaps unsurprisingly Truss was unreprented, arguing that the UK was, and still is, “in serious economic trouble” and that she had to be “bold” in reversing stagnant economic growth.
Despite being clear in her own mind that the approach was needed, Truss has realised that she did not have the backing to weather the storm in the markets.
“It didn’t have enough support among Conservative MPs and amongst the economic establishment in Britain,” she said.
But fundamentally, having lower taxes, having less regulation, and getting the economy moving I believe is the only way to achieve economic growth.
She even mentioned Ireland’s low corporate tax rate as an example, referencing how the boss of pharma firm AstraZeneca said the company chose here as a hub and not the UK because of corporation tax.
Asked whether she had done her due diligence before announcing the mini-budget, she said “maybe we could have gone a bit slower”, but added “we were facing a real crisis” with rising energy bills.
Truss added that not enough people were prepared to come out and publicly support her plan, and that “the policies were not falling on fertile ground”.
“I think the fundamental problem was there wasn’t enough political support for what I was trying to do,” she said.
RTÉ’s @mcculld getting straight into @trussliz at #NewsXchange, asking her about her use of social media and claims she attempted to be 'a Thatcher tribute act’.
— Rónán Duffy (@ronanduffy_) June 19, 2023
Truss says there was nothing deliberate about it and that female politicians are too often compared. pic.twitter.com/mCi7C5lh4e
Media
The stated topic for the discussion was “the constant demands of the 24-hour news cycle on government”, so the pair did share exchanges about the relationship between the media and politicians.
Quoting former Tory MP Enoch Powell, McCullagh put it to her that “politicians complaining about the press is like a ship’s captain complaining about the sea”.
Truss said this was “completely true” but then went ahead and criticised the media anyway.
Her main complaint was that the press was too often focused on people and not policy and was distracted by what she referred to as “froth”.
Politics is treated like “a brand of entertainment”, she said:
Who’s up, who’s down, who says what about who – it’s a bit playground when there are really serious issues going on.
And what about the ‘froth’, her examples:
What Boris Johnson has done, Gary Lineker’s tweets and Philip Schofield.
While she was quick to criticise the media for focusing on people and not policy, McCullagh asked her about the various photographs she posed for that were eerily reminiscent of Margaret Thatcher.
Such as when she posed on top of a tank or in a furry hat in Moscow.
Truss denied that this was a strategy, saying that this was “lazy thinking”.
“I think it’s one of those things about being a female politician. You inevitably get compared to other female politicians,” she said.
“I think that the British media are known throughout the world for being particularly vociferous and I don’t think they are particularly deferential to politicians,” she said.
“It’s frustrating because I came into politics because I wanted to change the country, I want to push particular ideas, and it is frustrating when you get diverted onto a discussion of what hat you’re wearing.”
And what about that other Tory former PM, the one who recently quit as an MP and who will again be in the news today when MPs vote on the report that accused him of lying to parliament?
“He himself has said he’s made mistakes, and none of us are perfect,” she said.
I’m not questioning the integrity of the report that parliamentarians have put the report forward. I think the judgment is pretty harsh, but I’m not questioning the integrity of those people.
Much like her successor as PM Rishi Sunak, it is unlikely that Truss will be in the House of Commons to vote on the report today, but what way would she vote if he was?
“As I’ve said I’m not questioning the integrity of the MPs but I think the sentence is overly harsh.”
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EA are the worst company when it comes to loot boxes and microtransactions.. But unfortunately it’s going to be the way of the future in the gaming industry.. Games like fortnite and just recently apex legends provide a free to download game with the option to buy cosmetics, passes etc.. There’s no issue for me with microtransactions as long as they’re only cosmetic and not pay to win, I’m fine.. You don’t have to buy items.. But the problem lies with games like fifa, where they put a massive emphasis on packs and getting better players, some company’s do it right some don’t. I don’t see it as a massive problem the way people make it out to be.. Its just some company’s are really sinister they way they go about things
@Chonky Racoon: They need to make up the money they lose on the 2nd hand games market. If I buy a used game the publishers dont make anything out of it. They try to trick you into spending very small amounts while you own the game and then try to squeeze a few euro out of me as well seeing as I didnt buy it from them.
@James O’Donovan: fortnite and apex legends are both free to play like many of the most populsr games containing loot boxes so your theory about second hand games is completely incorrect
@Ian McNally: There was a second hand market for years before those type of games were ever released.
@James O’Donovan: it may have been on of the reasons lootboxes were first introduced years ago but its not the reason they are in so many games today
@James O’Donovan: with digital downloads the 2nd hand market is all but dead…
@James O’Donovan: its got nothing to do with second hand market man and everything to do with greed, if a company releases a game and makes a few million off that, then with DLC for that game is extra income, but the microtransactions is about maximum income over a longer period of time, its greed plain and simple and gamers like myself get robbed, if you buy a game and sell it on for less you make nothing, secondhand games arent killing the industry, microtransactions are the worst thing for gamers
@James O’Donovan: What are you talking about? The gaming industry has been making more money than Hollywood since the mid-2000s.
That’s like saying Car manufacturers need to add a microtransaction option because of the business they lose to the 2nd hand games market. Except that when it comes to games, the 2nd hand games market is almost dead though to the rise of digital, non-transferable, games.
In this day and age no child should have to suffer games like Winning Streak
Remember the days when buying a game meant getting all of it? Remember when expansions added content.. I remember ;(
Still a few honest studios out there not under the boot of quarterly forcast projections thankfully.
@ED: I know right? I generally stick to smaller indie titles these days since I’m time poor and I know I will get my money’s worth.
Finally. Loot boxes is gambling. I will be happy to see the back of microtransactions. Companies like EA carve up content and try to nickel and dime their customers. I miss the days when video games were offline. At least you got what you paid for.
@Pete Gilmartin: There was one exception to the rule this year with an AAA game being an unbelievable offline experience, Red Dead Redemption 2. This game blew my mind and was worth every penny. The online experience is horrendous though and Rockstar have a really shitty way with microtransactions.
Thats disgraceful. They should be watching gov ads instead.
@Adrian: if the gov could tax that money, they wouldn’t be complaining. Its like going to the shop 20/30 years ago to buy the panini stickers. The gov wasn’t complaining then.
This feels a year too late. After 2017′s EA Battlefront had used loot boxes as the main way to get ahead in tye game, a few European countries went to town on EA for this sham of a practice. Yet only now are the Irish government finding out about this. As if paying full price isnt enough for these greedy publishers
Those were the days, waiting for the Commodore 64 to load.. copying games on cassette tapes and sharing them on yard break, then racing home to play them. And looking down on the kids with Spectrums because of the woeful graphics and crap sound
Sure its no wonder there’s F##k all on RTE worth watching for kids.
@BAAB: Always Bosco’s funeral…
Star Wars Battlefront 2 was a slot machine aimed at kids, it was a disgrace, if you didn’t spend you didn’t win, Fifa is the same with Ultimate team, the chance of getting a Messi is less than 0.1% it bring in 850 million every year, both from the same company EA the scourge of gaming and these are full priced 60 euro games before you do anything..
FFS! This is a disgrace. As if having to watch one episode a week of Winning Streak isn’t bad enough!
Yeah it’s the loot boxes that’s giving a bad example, shoot as many people as you want though.
@StevieB: you mean to say that I “imagined” saving Alderaan?? How very dare you!
I am a gamer and a parent, I currently do one full-time and the other when I get a chance to. I play on PC which means I have more of a choice in what I play.
loot boxes as a thing have been around for a long time in a different form you defeat an enemy you get random stuff they drop . Monitizing something is OK too . If you have cosmetic only pay boxes that’s down to the user if they think a hat or a leopard print skin for there machine gun is worth the money that’s thier decision same as the decision to buy a white t-shirt in Penny’s or a white t-shirt in topman it won’t make you jump higher or run faster it will make you broke quicker though.
If you look at the worst offenders for a chance to “win” better stuff by paying for what is essentially a scratchcard, ea games ,Activision and Ubisoft. The biggest three game publishers . EA backed down not because of a public outcry but because Disney who own the starwars brand told EA to quit it or lose thier license to make starwars games . They didn’t make the same change to any of the sports titles as FIFA, NFL, NHL or WWE are not making the same treats . I’m not a sports fan but I saw even as a child how annual sports games where easy money for games publishers that’s before loot boxes . Back to” gambling for kids !” Trading cards , lol surprises , the machines you put €1 in an get a random coloured ball of slime and kinda surprises all games of chance or gambling . The governments issue isn’t the children and the parents it’s how can they tax it ? The average gamer is 17-35 years old these figures come from games purchased and played outside that scope it’s down to the parents 12 year olds should not be playing call of duty or grand theft auto . My six year old has a tablet (not an iPad! Which is a whole other bunch of dumb parents) I have a parental control app on it to let her play age appropriate games and watch the kid friendly part of YouTube which I monitor .
Just to play devil’s advocate here.
If loot boxes constitute gambling, then was I gambling when I bought 2002 FIFA world cup stickers hoping to get the Roy Keane shiny?
@Seán Troy: no because you were getting a physical object with monetary value. Even though there is an element of gambling in it it’s not the same as lootboxes. Also the main issue with lootboxes is it uses many of the same techniques as casinos to tempt you into buying more, such as colour patterns and sound. It is a grey area I’ll admit but there is a difference
You would have more chance winning the lotto than getting what your looking for in loot boxes.
The pressure put on kids (and adults) to use these after paying 70 euro + for a game is plain extortion.
There’s videos of guys on YouTube opening fifa packs worth 13k yes 13k,, think they got the likes of Messi and Ronaldo only once
My God the Irish Government have woken up ! after 63 years . Our Gambling Legislation dates back to 1956 . So now we hear that the government is concerned about “Loot Boxes” offered across a range of games via play station etc . The first rule of gaming / gambling legislation is to “Protect the young and the Vulnerable ” Ireland for over 50 years has promoted the mix of hard gaming and amusements under the same roof and broken that very rule !!. They have allowed these properties to prosper pacifically in seaside resorts spoiling many family holidays where Children’s games are placed side by side Slot Machines ! This is a country where successive Governments have allowed Candy Floss to meet Hard Gaming head on and buried their heads in the sand !!! and now we hear their concern about Loot Boxes ? How two faced is that ?
Belgium are banning it and all of the EU should follow.
@Ed: Norway is already looking into it, following research done by a forum consisting of representatives from a couple of child protection entities, the consumer regulator, the lottery regulator, a few smaller game developers, and some child psychiatrists.
The report is unanimous in that loot boxes are indeed a form of gambling, but just like here in Ireland, the legislation needs to clearly define it as such.
I don’t play those games, but pay to win doesn’t look much like gambling. You pay for an overpowered item and you get it for certain.
What does look like gambling though is the gatcha system incorporated in mostly Japanese games (gatcha is that kind of machines where you put a coin in, but you don’t know what is going out of it until you open the box).
Most of these games are free, but you can buy a reroll for another chance of getting the item you want. Chances are you won’t have it again, so you buy another reroll. That’s gambling
in laymans terms, imagine buying a game for about 65 euro. most games are ussually for online play. the more you play, the more in game items and powerups you get. but publishers like EA games are intentionally making it super hard to “grind” up for all these unlockables. so they have the option to pay for it, hence the term “pay-to-win” and it makes gameplay unfair for players who have not payed for cosmetic items and power ups. so the rich players get good, and the poor players just get frustrated and give into paying
Nobody is forcing ANYBODY to buy microtransations, and on the case of 97% of games, microtransations don’t give anybody any kind of advantage. In regards to them “exposing chicken to gambling” that is absolute nonsense. You can’t reference ONE game where this exists and then try to say that this is typical , because it’s not.
If parents want to avoid all and any of this, then simply DO NOT have your payment details saved on the console where kids can get access to it and buy stuff,
The fact that this has been brought up in the dail is hilarious to me. There’s nothing werid going on here, they give people the OPTION to buy these things, nobodies being forced into anything and nobody is losing out by NOT using them, and the title of This article is absolute sentsionalism.
These have been banned in Holland and Belgium, we should do the same because it’s nothing more than gambling and most are directly aimed at kids.
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