Britannia rechained: Liz Truss enters her hostage era | Marina Hyde

Jeremy Hunt, resurrected from several political deaths, is apparently the safest pair of hands in the Tory party

The lesson of the past few years in British politics is that new lows can always be found. Barely three months ago, it seemed there could be nothing less elegant than Boris Johnson's dignity-aborting exit from Downing Street. That now seems like an exquisite performance of the Royal Ballet. Yesterday was mainly spent watching Jeremy Hunt try to persuade the markets to get back together with the UK, their maddest ex. At some level, it's slightly adorable that the markets continue trying to make it work with a country that repeatedly demonstrates itself to be a basket case. It's possible they're the most hopeless romantics of all.

Quick recap: the prime minister is in special measures. Black Monday's already taken, so I don't know how you'd describe yesterday's lunacy. Crack Monday? The upshot is ... Britannia has been rechained. The Britannia unleashed in the mini-budget three weeks ago - only to wreak appalling havoc everywhere from the bond markets to household budgets - has been lassoed by incoming surprise chancellor Jeremy Hunt. Hunt has immediately re-manacled her, then wound 40ft of heavyweight steel chain round her to prevent her threatening public safety again. Fan theory: was Liz Truss Britannia all along?

Marina Hyde is a Guardian columnist

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