A fake blue plaque has been placed outside a Tesco in Walthamstow, east London, marking the supermarket where the lettuce that famously outlasted former Prime Minister Liz Truss was bought. The plaque reads: “A lettuce purchased here in September 2022 lasted longer than prime minister Liz Truss,” in reference to her brief 49-day stint in office.
The stunt, originally launched by the Daily Star, was a satirical jab at Truss as she struggled to maintain her political career following the chaos of her mini-budget. The economic plan, spearheaded by Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng, involved unfunded tax cuts that led to financial turmoil, soaring interest rates, and a sharp drop in the value of the pound. The Bank of England was forced to intervene to prevent the collapse of the British pensions industry.
The Daily Star ran a livestream, featuring a lettuce dressed with googly eyes and a blonde wig, to see if it could outlast Truss’s time as prime minister. The lettuce, of course, won.
Since her resignation, Liz Truss has faced ongoing embarrassment. In August, at a pro-Donald Trump event, a banner featuring a lettuce and the words “I crashed the economy” appeared behind her. Truss later called out the disruption, writing on social media platform X: “What happened last night was not funny,” and accusing far-left activists of attempting to suppress free speech.
The lettuce stunt remains a symbol of Truss’s short-lived leadership, with the fake plaque serving as a reminder of her brief time in office.
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