Right-wing U-turn against Truss a striking example of motivated bias
In the space of a week, Kwasi Kwarteng was fired, the UK markets continued to spiral in turmoil, Jeremy Hunt became the UK’s new chancellor and speculation around Liz Truss’ ability to remain in power ran riot as Tory MPs floated ideas of a Rishi Sunak/Penny Mordaunt double-act Prime Ministership.
Until this point, the majority of right-leaning papers continued to skirt around – or entirely avoid – the impact of Kwarteng’s budget and the damage the UK economy took in just three weeks. Goldman Sachs revised its 2023 UK economic output forecast to a 1% contraction from an earlier forecast for a 0.4% output drop, downgrading the UK growth outlook after the government tax U-turns.
But just as UK politics has been dominated by fiscal U-turns, the change in narrative in right-leaning media is a worrying display of just how biased they have been to begin with, and it’s taken the complete inability to deny reality to trigger more objective headlines.
While media outlets will almost inevitably have a bias, particularly when politics are involved, the disregard of impartiality is nonetheless staggering to witness when compared to previous coverage of the same story – and shows just how much media outlets can (and do) intentionally mislead to influence, until it is no longer in their best interests to do so. Let’s take a look at how some of these papers, particularly those who have always been headstrong proponents of Liz Truss, changed their tune from Thursday to Sunday, based on their front page headlines.
Daily Mail
Could Camilla have to swap her crown?
Thursday 13/10/2022
While other papers focused on the Tory revolt following Wednesday’s PMQs and their call to U-turn on tax plans to prevent further economic damage, the Daily Mail avoided it altogether.
PM ‘has 17 days to save her job’
Friday 14/10/2022
On Friday, they began to cover the revolt.
How much more can she (and the rest of us) take?
Saturday 15/10/2022
Once Kwarteng had been sacked and the survival of Liz Truss came into question, they turned against her completely.
Plot to topple Truss this week
Sunday 16/10/2022
The Sun
Showbiz exclusive: Strictly Helen’s new heartache
Thursday 13/10/2022
Underhand of God: blunder ref flogs Maradona ball for £3m
Friday 14/10/2022
A giant of our screens: National treasure Hagrid actor dies
Saturday 15/10/2022
After previous endorsements, The Sun avoided any coverage of Liz Truss and/or the Tory party until Sunday.
What is now the point of Liz Truss? The Tory party need to take back control
Daily Express
Angry Tories attack bank chief’s ‘stupid move’
Thursday 13/10/2022
Tax U-turn on cards in battle to calm markets
Friday 14/10/2022
Vultures circling, but Truss is not for quitting
Saturday 15/10/2022
D-Day for PM
Sunday 16/10/2022
And although relatively objective and offering more impartial coverage of Liz Truss, the Telegraph dramatically U-turned against the past 6 years of Tory rule on Saturday.
Project Fear was right all along: six years of policy confusion and ineptitude has brought a calamitous loss of standing
