Truss Is Learning The Cost Of Staying Silent During A Crisis

Where is the prime minister? Even new prime ministers often face unexpected crises in their first few days. Gordon Brown had a terrorist threat when someone tried to drive a car into the main doors of Glasgow airport, and he dealt with it calmly and well.

- John Rentoul

New prime ministers don't usually face self-inflicted crises, it is true, but the reaction of the markets to Liz Truss's emergency Budget on Friday is one of the most serious financial disasters facing the country since Brown's time. But all recent prime ministers have known that it is a core function of their job to speak to the nation at a time of crisis and explain how they are trying to deal with it.

We haven't heard from Truss since she spoke in the graveyard slot at the United Nations, overnight, a week ago. She was in the House of Commons by Kwasi Kwarteng's side as he announced his emergency Budget on Friday, supportively nodding and smiling, but she scuttled out of the chamber as soon as the leader of the opposition had responded.

Since then the markets have gone into meltdown. The chancellor was on television on Sunday, making things worse by saying that there would be more tax cuts soon - presumably also paid for by borrowing.