James O'Brien baffled by Liz Truss' 'absolutely insane' rise in Tory race
29 July 2022, 14:49
James O'Brien wonders how Truss is convincing electorate that imports are bad
As the Foreign Secretary stands favourite to become the next Prime Minister, James O'Brien tries to understand how she managed to get herself into the position in the first place.
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LBC hosted the first Conservative leadership hustings on Thursday as Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak vie for the votes of Tory members to become the next Prime Minister.
James O'Brien was reflecting on the hustings, where Grammar Schools were discussed, but many of the scandals surrounding Boris Johnson were not.
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"We live in a country where councils are contemplating community-funded warm spaces for voters to visit because they're freezing cold and can't afford to turn the heating on.
"The woman who is going to be our next prime minister has generated support from a ludicrous electorate consisting entirely of conservative party members by telling massive lies about Brexit, enormous fibs about trade deals that she's signed, and pretending that the stuff we should really be concerned about is the amount of cheese we import from France!"
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'Would you accidentally walk us into World War Three?
Borrowing a phrase from the would-be PM, James said "that is a disgrace."
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He couldn't work out how Conservative leadership candidates are "behaving as if there's nothing incredible or remarkable or extraordinary happening" during the cost of living crisis, and the resignation of a Prime Minister who has admitted to meeting a Russian spy whilst Foreign Secretary.
"We've got a man in Downing Street who was having a knees up with a former KGB spy who's been sanctioned in Canada for being part, still, of Vladimir Putin's inner circle and he's in Downing Street claiming he's Russia's biggest enemy!"
Noting the absurdity of the leadership contest once more, James was shocked at how Ms Truss has not said "a single word" about the Lebedev affair.
"What's the big issue facing the country?" James asked, before imagining that Liz Truss' answer would be cheese imports.
"Really?"
