Farewell, Truss’s twisty lectern. Last week in Downing Street Rishi Sunak used one with a straight column. If he follows recent Tory tradition, he’ll have one made to his own design, paid for by the party (£2,000-£4,000 a pop) and loaned to the government.
Each lectern (from the Latin legere, ‘to read’) has sent a message. David Cameron’s was intended to look statesmanlike, a change from Labour’s tray-on-a-pole:
Theresa May’s was made of cedar and designed (by her chief of staff Fiona Hill) to look more feminine:
Boris Johnson went for a darker wood and a sturdier design – aides knew he was fond of thumping it during speeches:
Liz Truss’s lectern was the disruptor – it was originally going to incorporate wood from trees representing every part of the UK, but that proved too expensive. As if this wasn’t enough of a metaphor for Trussonomics, the twisting support column (which like all lecterns hid a metal core for stability) reminded people of a Jenga tower.
Get Britain's best politics newsletters
Register to get The Spectator's insight and opinion straight to your inbox. You can then read two free articles each week.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in