“Will Liz Truss survive this salad?” Asked the British tabloid “Daily Star” in a live video that has been on YouTube since October 14, attracting numerous viewers and comments. The head of lettuce that can be seen in it thus became a caricature of Conservative Prime Minister Liz Truss’s weakening of power.
Lettuce Lizzy, as the head of lettuce is known, was inspired by The Economist, which noted on October 11 that the Prime Minister was caught between an almost immediate political implosion at the start of her term and a ten-day mourning period after the Queen’s death Elizabeth II was in power for only seven days, or “about as long as a lettuce lasts.”
The head of lettuce was jazzed up with a blonde wig, hands and feet. Next to it were crackers and a cup. There was also a photo of Liz Truss on the table. In the meantime, the head of lettuce wore a sleeping mask.
The lettuce hasn’t wilted
The lettuce comparison was intended to symbolize the short-lived nature of Truss’s political career as Prime Minister. The Conservative Party only appointed her as Boris Johnson’s successor in September. The tax cuts she proposed so unsettled voters and markets that Truss was forced to sack her key allies.
Afterwards, many wondered if she would be removed just weeks after taking office. On Tuesday, the Daily Star graced its front page with the headline “Lettuce wins as Liz leafs.”
The pressure on the prime minister had grown steadily, she had resisted calls for her resignation and declared in parliament on Wednesday that she was a fighter and not a giver. This was followed by fierce questions from the opposition MPs.
In the end, the salad survived the prime minister: Liz Truss resigned on Thursday. The photo that previously stood next to the salad was placed face down, colored lights swirled around and a recording of “God Save the King” played in replay as nearly 20,000 people watched live.
The lettuce hasn’t wilted in the six days it’s been in the spotlight. Lettuce can stay crisp for seven to 10 days – though that’s the typical lifespan of refrigerated lettuce, not a head lying on the table wearing a wig.
