Liz Truss has faced widespread mockery on social media after announcing her new book 'Bank Job', available for pre-order on October 26. The former Prime Minister shared a link on X to promote the publication, but the response was overwhelmingly negative.
The cover image, which shows Truss seated at a desk in the style of the crime thriller Reservoir Dogs, flanked by figures thought to include former Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey, ex-Prime Minister Tony Blair, and former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, quickly became a target for online editing.
Social Media Reactions and the Lettuce Meme
Social media users wasted no time bringing back the legendary lettuce that outlived Truss's tenure at Number 10. One person retitled the book 'Lettuce Job', adding the tagline 'how to outlast a lettuce'. Another user modified the title to 'w**k job'.
Truss's premiership was the briefest in British history, lasting just 45 days, shorter than the Daily Star's lettuce. Her leadership collapsed after a contentious "mini-budget" featuring unfunded tax reductions proposed by her chancellor, which triggered financial market chaos, a plunge in sterling, extensive political backlash, and the collapse of party backing.
Book Details and Political Criticism
The "short book on how the Bank of England broke the bond market and brought down the government" following Truss's mini-Budget will be published alongside the first Budget under Andy Burnham. Despite the economic turmoil, the book presents a contrasting account of her political demise, expanding on her claim that the "establishment" and Bank of England bore responsibility for the crisis.
The book reportedly "lift the lid on what really happened around the Mini-Budget in 2022, challenging the establishment narrative and examining in particular the role of the unaccountable Bank of England". Politicians have already criticised the release, with her former trade policy minister Conor Burns ridiculing the publication.
He wrote on X: "She is now an international embarrassment with zero self awareness." Another X user amended the book cover with the title "Whack Job", sharing the image with the caption: "A short book on how Liz Truss broke the bond market and a lettuce brought down the government." Others suggested that the book would soon be relegated to 'Poundland shelves'.
