Liz Truss’ cease and desist letter to make Keir Starmer stop saying she crashed the economy just reminded everybody of her disastrous mini budget
Free speech champion and huge fan of ‘free speech absolutist’ Elon Musk, Liz Truss has instructed her lawyers to send a cease and desist letter to Sir Keir Starmer to get him to stop saying she crashed the economy.
Liz Truss’s lawyers have written to Keir Starmer, possibly in green ink https://t.co/xtPepWwnI4 pic.twitter.com/HjF6BF4uKf
— John Rentoul (@JohnRentoul) January 9, 2025
Irony aside, it certainly hasn’t just been the PM accusing her of crashing the economy, after a huge number of unfunded cuts in her budget spooked the markets, tanked the pound and added to the cost of borrowing to the extent that some people were priced out of the mortgages they were negotiating.
As well as mortgage payers, financial experts and several of her Conservative colleagues, this Led by Donkeys banner also suggested she crashed the economy.
Liz Truss is on a pro-Trump speaking tour. So we dropped a strategically-positioned remote-controlled lettuce banner pic.twitter.com/VH5244u9Jc
— Led By Donkeys (@ByDonkeys) August 13, 2024
The news that she had decided to pursue the legal option probably didn’t have the effect she would have hoped.
1.
Liz Truss, who crashed the economy, is sending cease and desist letters to people who say that Liz Truss crashed the economy. Good luck with that Liz Truss! pic.twitter.com/5qNAmhi0y1
— Sunder Katwala (@sundersays) January 9, 2025
2.
Liz Truss.
And her cease and desist letter .
All the self awareness of a fucking fungal infection.— Anne Laird (@AnneLaird31) January 9, 2025
3.
Liz Truss is sending 'cease and desist' letters to people who say she crashed the economy.
And she's about to discover something called the 'Streisand Effect' as a result
Because 'Liz Truss Crashed the Economy' is already trending on my twitter https://t.co/OzN123Nce5
— Otto English (@Otto_English) January 9, 2025
4.
HAHAHAHA! @trussliz sending a cease and desist letter to @Keir_Starmer is peak comedy! (And a little bit cringe).
Best get ya pen back out & sign a few more of those letters love.
There's about 30 Million of us who believe you did indeed crash the economy.
— Erin (@ErinMSCFC1983) January 9, 2025
5.
Hilarious from the Queen of stupidity @trussliz
She did crash the economy. She did send interest and mortgage rates soaring. She did almost wreck the pensions of millions. She lasted 49 days. She remains a disgrace.
Starmer needs to keep saying
LIZ TRUSS CRASHED THE ECONOMY https://t.co/yPqO8p3NRK pic.twitter.com/Z4bQizjIWD
— MD. European. (@surfdoctor) January 9, 2025
6.
THIS IS NOT A PARODY ACCOUNT – THIS IS A TRUE STORY
Truss sends Starmer cease and desist letter over claim she crashed the economy https://t.co/X0owTVSB6c
— dave lawrence (@dave43law) January 9, 2025
7.
FWIW I think “crashed the economy” is simplistic shorthand but honestly good luck with that one Liz pic.twitter.com/vw2tzPmroQ
— Godspeed You Black Tamperer (ft Maya) (@twlldun) January 9, 2025
8.
This is almost too funny to be true.
Lettuce Liz Truss is upset that her kamikaze budget and her disastrous period as Prime Minister damaged the economy.
Can anyone around Liz instigate an intervention? pic.twitter.com/mccSisMGEg
— Jim Cognito (@JimCognito2016) January 9, 2025
9.
“Statements you have made publicly…will likely continue to cause serious harm to her reputation.” No. There is quite literally no further harm anyone could do to her reputation other than that which she caused herself. https://t.co/igDKW9Nz3c
— Lucy B (@lucy_bee2) January 9, 2025
10.
She genuinely thinks she can change her reputation through lawfare, in a fight with a lawyer?
Liz Truss is the gift that keeps on giving
— Camillo Cienfuegos (@cienfuegos1958) January 9, 2025
11.
Dont you have to have a reputation for it be damaged?
— Super Palace (@Patrickspups) January 9, 2025
12.
Everyone who's mortgage went up should return the favour and each send Lizzy a cease and desist letter to stop saying she didn't crash the economy. https://t.co/ApNmDvyuz0 pic.twitter.com/NmtikJvH5K
— Shane Norris (@ShaneNozza) January 9, 2025
13.
She’s convinced herself this is true. I really, really hope she tries to push this in court. https://t.co/MmcrFLVUII
— James Ball (@jamesrbuk) January 9, 2025
14.
Wake up babe, new Labour press release just dropped https://t.co/awvPYNmxXm
— Conor Pope (@Conorpope) January 9, 2025
15.
I'll give her her due, this is very funny. https://t.co/cKdbpNMn6E
— McClernon (@McClernon85) January 9, 2025
16.
Pleased to clarify that Liz Truss did not crash the economy, as I have previously erroneously asserted. All she did was tank the pound, blow up the pensions system and send mortgages through the roof.
— David__Osland (@David__Osland) January 9, 2025
17.
For a split second I thought it must be April Fool’s Day … https://t.co/P37dmy3M50
— Mike Rigg (@mike_rigg) January 9, 2025
Lawyer Stephanie Hayden gave this potted assessment.
They are statements of opinion which an honest person could hold. Further, there would be a potential public interest defence. As for serious harm to reputation, the threshold is high when in the context of the political arena. Case is going nowhere.
— Stephanie Hayden (@flyinglawyer73) January 9, 2025
We doubt Keir Starmer will lose any sleep over it, unless it’s through bouts of laughter.
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Source John Rentoul Image Alison Pearson, Screengrab