PMQs: Liz Truss Declares Herself 'Genuinely Unclear' – And Twitter Couldn't Agree More

"That's the problem!!!"
Prime Minister Liz Truss reacts during Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons, London.
Prime Minister Liz Truss reacts during Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons, London.
House of Commons - PA Images via Getty Images

Liz Truss’s performance during only her second PMQs as prime minister had flopped within moments of her opening speech.

The prime minister mistakenly started her sentence in the Commons by saying – “I’m genuinely unclear” – a move which gave the opposition benches a chance to start cheering.

Despite only being in office for five weeks, Truss has already developed a reputation for changing her mind – as you can see from her five U-turns here.

From dropping the decision to cut the 45p tax rate for the highest earners, to changing who she had planned to run the treasury and imposing windfall taxes on energy companies, Truss’s policy-making has been chaotic to say the least.

It’s especially unfortunate because Truss had actually tried to squash any notion that she would flip-flop between policies during her time in office during her Tory leadership contest.

Critics picked her apart for her days as a republican Liberal Democrat as a student, and her passionate campaigns for staying in the EU just before the referendum in 2016.

Now an ardent Brexiteer, Conservative and apparent monarchist, Truss had twice the workload to convince Tory members she stuck to her guns over the summer.

Her ally, Simon Clarke, even said during the campaign: “U-turn if you want to. The lady’s not for turning.”

This was a throwback to the Thatcherite era – but it seems Truss is a long way off emulating the Iron Lady, having U-turned repeatedly since just September 6.

And the unimpressed response from her parliamentary colleagues did not go unnoticed on Twitter...

Liz Truss says she’s genuinely unclear.

That’s the problem!!! #pmqs

— Bill Esterson (@Bill_Esterson) October 12, 2022

“I’m genuinely unclear…” begins Truss, to Labour cheers. Unfortunate choice of words. #PMQs

— Pippa Crerar (@PippaCrerar) October 12, 2022

Finally Liz Truss has said something accurate... "Genuinely I'm unclear". She should just stop there.#ToriesUnfitToGovern#PMQs

— Dave Robinson (@9bDave) October 12, 2022

“I’m genuinely unclear”. Never a truer word. #pmqs

— Pete Wishart (@PeteWishart) October 12, 2022

Twitter users even speculated her own front bench were unimpressed by her performance.

Think we can all relate to Penny when watching this #PMQs... pic.twitter.com/0eCenFRIq9

— Sami 🌹🌹🌹 (@SammGarratt) October 12, 2022

Labour benches erupt with “yes!” and nodding heads as the PM says “I’m genuinely unclear…” 😬

— Adam Payne (@adampayne26) October 12, 2022

“I’m genuinely unclear” #LizTruss says. Everyone laughs. #PMQs

— JOHN NICOLSON M.P. (@MrJohnNicolson) October 12, 2022

This is brutal. Everyone laughing at the PM including in the galleries.

Andrew Bowie there can be seen watching them. pic.twitter.com/QgwiGETgPF

— JackElphinstone. (@ElphinstoneJack) October 12, 2022

And, of course, it doesn’t look like her critics will forget her U-turns any time soon either...

💥Liz Truss rules out public spending cuts - despite private warnings they’ll be huge.

Starmer: “During the leadership contest the PM said ‘I’m very clear. I’m not planning public spending reductions’. Are you going to stick to that?”

Truss: “Absolutely. Absolutely”.

— Pippa Crerar (@PippaCrerar) October 12, 2022
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