Liz Truss was never likely to make a good prime minister and it is too late now for her to be an ordinarily bad one. Her reputation cannot withstand the damage already inflicted on Britain’s economy. A course correction on fiscal policy might bring temporary market stability, but it will take new leadership to restore confidence that there is sound judgment at the heart of government.
Making a scapegoat of Kwasi Kwarteng convinces no one. The chancellor has been sacrificed to appease critics of a mini-budget that gave expression to the will of the prime minister. Appointing Jeremy Hunt as Mr Kwarteng’s successor brings experience but not coherence to the government. If Mr Hunt calls the economic shots, the prime minister is redundant. If he doesn’t, chaos will continue.
