Hat Off To You, Suella Braverman!

Among the wreckage of the Liz Truss’s premiership, one minister not only left with her dignity intact, but she embodied the missing flavour of politics today: responsibility. The gist of Suella Braverman ‘s resignation letter? “The business of government relies upon people accepting responsibility for their mistakes. […] I have made a mistake; I accept responsibility: I resign.”.

See you around. 

Me? Hat off.

Yes, history will remember Liz Truss as the shortest-lived premiership in the UK history. A pub quiz question within a couple of weeks, I guess. All made merry at the witty Daily Star ”lettuce” comparison. Even Medvedev (the president, not the tennis player) found this funny, and it is.

But in these days, where there seems to be no end to unheard of events and disasters, just take the time to read this letter: this is what could be salvaged from the shambles. 

This resignation is a statement of authority, of responsibility, in good as much as in bad times. 

It is not about how much she will regret the planes, the cars and the chauffeurs. It is not your expected humble-brag apology, your run-of-the-mill litany of how difficult, stressful, the job was, and the unfairness of being caught. This would have been what we got used to. This is probably what we felt we would read. 

No.

Braverman ‘s resignation is about ownership.

Her text is all the more impressive when the band is already playing on the top deck of this government. Not a variation of the standard template “Who? Me?” answer. 

Not only did Suella Braverman leave the stage with dignity, but, in doing so, she also may have put in the spotlight what should be basic expectations from voters. This is actually what they crave today from their representatives. 

Taking responsibility should be a basic, it is unfortunately not. 

How would I know that? 

Well, just read any and every comment across the media on this resignation, or the fall of the Truss government. None of the comments mentions anything else than the direct resignation whether in friendly, opposing or neutral commentators. All behave as if that comment should be nothing new.

So yes, of course, it could be tactical. It certainly was not done randomly for some kind of itch. Obviously there could be a need to try and salvage anything from this shambling wreckage of a government. Career, dignity, or anything you may wish to add.. Certainly, some have an axe to grind, so why would they actually read her words.  

Oh, and by the way, I have no idea what she was Minister of, nor the mistake she actually made.

But, apart from the 60p Lettuce, Suella Braverman highlighted in this text some basic backbone we should be in a position to expect from any of our representatives anywhere.

How else would you expect to rebuild the trust and start genuinely addressing 2020s challenges? Who knows, we may even see Veran, Buzyn, De Block and alii owning up to their decisions? But since the grandfather of them all, Laurent Fabius, we know that responsible may not mean guilty… Really?

Here is to hoping.

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