Oh no we don’t. Or shouldn’t. She’s changed her political principles so often during her undistinguished career – CND, Lib-Dem, anti-monarchy, Conservative, Remainer, Brexiter – that we can’t be sure where she’s going to stand next week, even; although we know where she decided to plant her flag for this Tory leadership election. She’s now a Boris loyalist, and a traditional low-tax Conservative; which are the two positions that won her the 57% of the votes of the tiny constituency of elderly Tory party members who have now – ludicrously – elevated her to the premiership of the United Kingdom. Well, let’s see where that takes us.

Putting to one side the sheer triviality of this whole procedure, it seems clear that there’s a broader and more basic trend behind it: which is the onward – or if you like backward – march of late-stage capitalism or neo-liberalism, which has gripped most of Europe and America since the days of Thatcher and Reagan. Truss wants to reduce the role of the state, reward the rich even further, and strip away workers’ rights. That fits the pattern. If it’s a global trend it must be basically irrespective of individual human volition, which can only be its tools. Which brings us back to the eternal discussion about ‘agency’ and causality in history…. And, I’m afraid, must diminish Liz Truss somewhat.