Truss Is Unapologetic as She Says Goodbye

She may have lasted in office for only six tumultuous weeks, but Liz Truss did not exactly offer a mea culpa as she formally stepped down as Britain's prime minister on Tuesday. The BBC describes her short farewell address as "unapologetic" and "defiant" as she stood by her vision for the country. The Guardian agrees she "showed no sign of contrition for the chaos" that marked her historically short tenure. In her speech, Truss encouraged successor Rishi Sunak to be "bold" as she advocated for lower taxes and higher defense spending. She also quoted the Roman philosopher Seneca in saying, "It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare, it is because we do not dare that they are difficult.”

Truss dared to push big tax cuts without explaining how to pay for them, and this "failed experiment in trickle-down economics" roiled financial markets and led to her quick downfall, per the New York Times. In his own first remarks as prime minister, Sunak acknowledged the mess. “Mistakes were made, not born of ill will or bad intentions,” he said, but they were “mistakes nonetheless.” The former finance minister addressed his challenge of restoring stability to the markets: "All I can say is that I am not daunted." Truss will be returning to her role as a member of parliament. (Sunak is a very, very rich man.)