Liz Truss has sent a legal letter to Keir Starmer demanding he stops making “false and defamatory” claims that she crashed the economy.

The former prime minister sent a six-page “cease and desist” letter accusing Starmer of harming her reputation and contributing to her losing her South West Norfolk seat in the general election.

  • Luvs2Spuj@lemmy.world
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    3 hours ago

    She is one of the few people I would shout at if I saw her out and about. She should be in prison.

  • TheGrandNagus@lemmy.world
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    2 hours ago

    Of all the people to send an unenforceable cease and desist letter to LMAO

    I’d think the ex Barrister, Queens Counsel (basically a group of exceptionally talented senior lawyers) lawyer, and ex director of public prosecutions for the CPS would be someone you’d think hm, I probably can’t intimidate him in this manner. Truss never ceases to amaze me.

    My mind can’t even begin to imagine how good Starmer’s legal defence team would be.

    Of all PMs, he is surely the one you’d be insane to enter a legal battle with.

  • mannycalavera@feddit.uk
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    16 hours ago

    As PM she was the First Lord Of The Treasury (amongst the many other titles she got as a PM: Queen of the Andals and the First Men, Lady of the Seven Kingdoms, and Protector of the Realm) so how is she not responsible for the economy?

  • GreatAlbatross@feddit.ukM
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    21 hours ago

    C&D sounds like a good way to scare someone who was wasn’t previously a Barrister, Bencher, Director of Public Prosecutions, and didn’t have a knighthood for services to law and criminal justice.

          • Ginny [they/she]@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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            1 hour ago

            This gives a bit of a false impression. Specifically, it is for the defendant to show that a defamatory statement is substantially true, rather than the complainant/plaintiff to show it is false. This is essentially because truth is a defence against defamation in the same way self-defence is a defence against assault.

            Essentially, the complainant must prove that:

            1. the defendant made a defamatory statement (i.e. a statement of a fact that - if true - would harm your reputation),
            2. you suffered a material loss as a result of harm to your reputation, and
            3. it was the defendant’s statement that was the cause.

            The defendant may argue in defence that:

            1. it was substantially true,
            2. they honestly believed it was true and had a reasonably good reason for doing so, and/or
            3. it was in the public interest to say so.

            The burden of proof is still “on the balance of probability” rather than “beyond reasonable doubt” in each case.

            This kind of makes a little bit of sense though, right? If I tell the world that you like to put your thumb in your bum and then sniff it, you’d probably feel it should be on me to provide evidence rather than on you to prove that you’ve literally never done that in your life.

            We are definitely lacking in anti-SLAPP legislation, but then so are many states.

  • flamingos-cant@feddit.ukM
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    23 hours ago

    accusing Starmer of harming her reputation and contributing to her losing her South West Norfolk seat in the general election.

    I too hate it when I’m faced with the consequences of my actions.

  • MrSulu@lemmy.ml
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    19 hours ago

    She clearly was accountable for tanking the economy, but has no other reasonable defence.

  • Mr_Blott@feddit.uk
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    22 hours ago

    Is that the Liz Truss that crashed the economy, or the Liz Truss that deliberately crashed the economy so her fucking posh boy crony cunts could capitalise on it?

  • Z3k3@lemmy.world
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    23 hours ago

    contributing to her losing her South West Norfolk seat in the general election.

    Political opponent says political opponents is bad at job and someone else should have it. Sighting evidence

    Sigh why can’t these fuckwits just go away like their constituents asked

  • Flamekebab@piefed.social
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    22 hours ago

    I’d love to see legal action over this; “No, it’s not defamatory - it’s a matter of record. Jog on.”

    • Echo Dot@feddit.uk
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      4 hours ago

      It’s the very definition of a frivolous lawsuit. It won’t see the inside of a courtroom except to get kicked out again.

      This isn’t the US you can’t just sue for whatever random thing you want you actually have to have a case.

    • HumanPenguin@feddit.uk
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      21 hours ago

      It’s purely about making the government waste money.

      Or more specifically, making the government hesitate to allow lettuce to force them to waste taxpayers’ money in court. She knows full well what ever answer is returned. Looks bad to a large % of voters.

      If kier is smart. He will stand up in parliament and state that. Something like.

      " She is desperate to make a name for herself, having bankrupted the UK. Either by her own reclass economic actions or by forcing the government to fight expensive libel suits, she has no chance of winning.

      So the answer is simple. From now on, I will only address her undeniable economic stupidity in parliament. Where the courts have no jurisdiction over the claims of politicians.

      If she wants to silence the truth. She will need to convince one of you MPs to stand up for her proven stupid economic lettuce rot. And risk your seats on the claims as she did."

      But more eloquently.

      • SouthEndSunset@lemm.ee
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        17 hours ago

        As much as I’m not a fan of Starmer (Changes his mind too much and he’s a red Tory), he does have a mature way of dealing with these people. Look at how he handles Musk.

        • HumanPenguin@feddit.uk
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          17 hours ago

          Sorta agree.

          Def a red tory. Or more to the point believes in the capatalistic properganda most of the western world dose. But its getting harder to beleave anyone that dosent can win.

          Not sure changing your mind is a bad thing. In fact id suggest not being willing to is more of a fault. IE i personally think it is impirtant to describe why the changea are in error. Rather then indicate a strict following of your ideals without following evidence. Is some how advantages to society.

          But yeah. Ob the whole I agree. He isnlikely to handle this as well as anyone can.

          • SouthEndSunset@lemm.ee
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            17 hours ago

            You’ve got a point about changing your mind. Showing you can learn or accept fault is strength of character. It’s just the number of times he’s done it and the things he’s changed his mind about that bug me. I’d have to look examples up though.

            • HumanPenguin@feddit.uk
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              17 hours ago

              Yeah.

              I also thinkjitbis imporrant for government to recognise and id the reasons for changes.

              He and his government seem to be ignoring openess. At the same level as the start of the last gov.

      • Hossenfeffer@feddit.uk
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        19 hours ago

        But more eloquently.

        So maybe something like: “She can shove her cease and desist up her arse and fuck off while she’s doing it!”?

        • fakeman_pretendname@feddit.uk
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          18 hours ago

          “Perhaps the honourable lady would consider repositioning the ‘cease and desist letter’ about her person, perhaps so as to protect it from sunlight?”

          i.e shove it where the sun doesn’t shine

        • HumanPenguin@feddit.uk
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          19 hours ago

          In parliment it would require something like.

          She can reverse ingest her letter while procreating with a donkey.

    • Random Dent@lemmy.ml
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      21 hours ago

      I’d love it to go to court and backfire so that it becomes illegal to trash talk your opponent. It’d kind of fuck up all political discourse but it would super fuck the Tories since that’s all they do.

      • Echo Dot@feddit.uk
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        4 hours ago

        In the sky news report about this they basically said just that.

        The case cannot happen because a victory for her essentially would require the courts to interfere with politics, and they can’t do that.