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Does PM Liz Truss have a communications issue?

04.10.2022

Liz Truss- Illustrated by Jeannette Khouri

This week we saw Prime Minister Liz Truss U-turn on the 45p tax rate cut, following a damaging drop in the pound and criticism from the IMF.

The reaction to the mini budget – and Liz Truss’ response and communications strategy – was perhaps the best drama to unfold. For your how-to guide on mishandled communications, simply follow Liz Truss’ handy steps below.

Make sure to hide…

Upon revealing the mini-budget, the PM went into four days of silence, while her critics ripped the economic plan to shreds and the pound tanked to record lows. This silence was then broken with a series of car crash interviews with local BBC radio stations, making for great viral TikTok content. Presenters demanded to know ‘where have you been?’, while others displayed their anger at the dangerous economic plan.

Blame someone else…

Next, the Prime Minister faced a grilling on the BBC with Laura Kuenssberg, where she admitted that Kwarteng was the one who had pushed for the higher rate of tax to be cut and that the Cabinet wasn’t informed of the decision. A leader placing blame on their team members is always a cringeworthy watch. She later went on to blame communications issues for the economic panic.

Build little rapport with journalists

The past week has seen Liz Truss stumble through interviews, from the most senior broadcasters to local radio stations – her most recent with Beth Rigby for Sky News. Providing a role of reassurance during this time fell short, while her rapport with journalists seemed non-existent, stating in a few interviews ‘If I were to reveal that, I certainly wouldn’t on your show’.

Veteran broadcaster Emily Maitlis, revealed in a recent interview with The News Agents podcast, that Tony Blair was able to disarm her as an interviewer. Every time Tony Blair was asked a question, he would react like it was the first time he’s ever been asked – and make you feel like you’ve done something incredible.

Do a spectacular U-turn!

Finally, after a few days of defending her economic plan, Liz Truss did a U-turn, losing the faith in her leadership in one fell swoop.

According to Lee Cain, Boris Johnson’s former director of comms, the beginning of a Prime Minister’s tenure is a crucial time to make an impression – and Johnson’s team knew the first 100 days would define him.

Play down what you did…

The PM claimed the U-turn was necessary as the 45p policy was becoming a ‘distraction’ from core policies, playing down the huge impact of the policy on markets and the economy.

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