New Statesman

Did they nearly stop Mrs Thatcher Mark 2?

Liz Truss, the 38 year old ex-President of the Oxford University Liberal Democrats turned Tory MP, first came to national prominence six months before the general election when what became dubbed as the “Turnip Taleban” sought to de-select her in her SW Norfolk constituency.

A leader of this faction was quoted at the time as saying: “Sorry, no, I have never said I’m anti-women. I have got absolutely nothing against women. Who cooks my lunch? Who cooks my dinner? How did my wonderful three children appear? Women, you can’t do without them. My god, take my wife.” What does she do for a living? “What does she do? She looks after me. Looks after the children. Runs the house.”

That was then and this is now. Liz Truss saw off her opponents, and went on to win easily at the general election. Now the focus is Cameron’s predicted ministerial re-shuffle and she is the one 2010 newcomer who is getting most attention.

The Guardian went so far during the week to suggest that Liz was about to go straight into the cabinet taking over Michael Gove’s job at education while he moved to the Home Office in place of Theresa May.

The New Statesman, meanwhile, yesterday published a flattering profile on her, see above, under the heading “Liz Truss – Iron Lady 2.0”.

The bookies have been a bit slow here. While there’ve been active markets on who’ll be next to leave the cabinet there is no way of betting, as far as I can see, on who are going to be the re-shuffle winners. Liz Truss, surely, will be amongst them though going straight into the cabinet might be a tall order.

Mike Smithson @MSmithsonPB