Liz Truss was unable to admit mistakes – her successor must be willing to

Blustering, flimsy, political non-apologies are simply not going to cut it (Picture: Tayfun Salci/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock)

So, Liz Truss has gone. 

After spending 44 days lurching from crisis to self-inflicted crisis, she’s out and the revolving door of unelected Tory Prime Ministers is back in motion. 

While many may feel relieved that the figurehead of the recent instability has stepped down, we are now facing yet another leadership contest set against the backdrop of social and economic turmoil. 

This particular chapter of chaos is far from over.

And the one thing I’m desperate to see from the next PM? A willingness to apologise and own up to mistakes – quickly.  

Honesty is a vital yet fading commodity in our society. As the news cycle speeds up and we grapple with the impacts of multiple, converging crises, we need leaders who are willing and able to communicate openly, directly and truthfully.

It certainly didn’t happen under Truss – and the consequences were dire. 

After her government tanked the economy and then sent the UK’s entire political system into a state of chaos, I hoped the apology would be swift and meaningful.

Boris Johnson lived by the mantra of ‘never apologise, never explain’

I say ‘hoped’ but in truth I knew it was a forlorn one.

British politics has become a space so fraught with instability and so populated with self-interest that real apologies are incredibly rare. 

It seems to have become the norm for our politicians, even high-ranking ministers, to be slippery when held accountable for their actions. 

An admission of missteps is regarded by some as career suicide, which makes sincere apologies impossible in most situations. 

We saw this play out with Liz Truss.

Yes, the apology did finally come – in an interview days before her resignation, the former PM said she wanted to ‘accept responsibility and say sorry for the mistakes that have been made’ – but for many, these words rang hollow as they didn’t align with her actions.  

First, she threw her chancellor Ksawi Kwarteng under the bus for enacting the policies they had championed together. 

In the lead up to his exit, Truss blamed the economic turmoil on everything from poor communication to a bogeyman ‘anti-growth coalition.’

Essentially, anybody but herself. 

The now ex-Prime Minister was rightly criticised but she’s hardly unique.

This kind of behaviour is standard practice for UK politicians. 

Boris Johnson famously stuck to the doctrine of ‘never apologise, never explain’, and was particularly adept at avoiding taking responsibility even as he led the country to one of the highest death tolls in Europe during the pandemic. 

Turn on Radio 4 most mornings and you will likely hear an MP performing complex gymnastics with the English language to ensure they can’t be blamed for the political blunder of the day.  

And when the people who hold the most powerful offices in the country maintain a steadfast refusal to say sorry in a meaningful way, it can have a trickle-down effect, infiltrating our broader cultural identity. 

This is something I’ve experienced myself, in personal and professional settings.

In past relationships, I’ve found most major arguments have been the result of one party refusing to apologise, digging their heels in to protect their pride rather than admit they were wrong. 

I have even lost a significant friendship over this very issue, when a simple apology – from either side – would likely have mended the fracture.  

Yes, the apology did finally come – but for many, these words rang hollow as they didn’t align with her actions (Picture: EyePress News/Shutterstock)

In part, this is an intrinsic human failing. Saying sorry is hard for most of us. Admitting we were wrong hurts our egos. But an inability to apologise is a deeply unattractive trait, and to me reeks of cowardice and insecurity. 

More of us – myself included – should learn to be better at saying sorry, frequently, and really meaning it. Not least because there is so much power in a true apology.  

A sincere ‘I’m sorry’ can fortify our interpersonal relationships and solidify important bonds – whether that’s with friends or romantic partners. 

And not only that, studies have shown that leaders are viewed more positively when they own up to their mistakes. Research by Brigham Young University identified that admitting your errors and apologising can be categorised as a form of ‘intellectual humility’, and found that a greater capacity for openness, honesty and ‘the propensity to admit mistakes’ was a recipe for success. 

Our next Prime Minister should take note of this. Blustering, flimsy, political non-apologies are simply not going to cut it. 

The errors and callous decisions that have been made in the past months have wounded so many, so quickly, and the reverberations will be felt for years to come. We can all feel the hollowness of empty excuses, and we have reached our limit. 

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This is not simply a matter of politeness or morality, the failure of powerful people to admit mistakes and to take responsibility when something has gone wrong actively harms people. 

For Truss and her ministers, the weeks-long dance of shifting blame and refusing to acknowledge errors led to delays in reversing damaging economic policies that have real-world impacts on people’s personal finances and their quality of life. 

More people will be worse off and more people will suffer because our leaders were more concerned with avoiding blame and clinging to power than with addressing the real needs of the people they are meant to serve. We can’t let this happen again.

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For Truss and her ministers, the weeks-long dance of shifting blame led to delays in reversing damaging economic policies that have real-world impacts on people’s personal finances and their quality of life.