Politics

Liz Truss Is Being Compared To A Controversial Emma Thompson Character

Russell T Davies agrees.

by Sophie McEvoy
Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers her keynote speech at the Conservative Party annual conference at ...
Jacob King - PA Images/PA Images/Getty Images

All eyes were on British Prime Minister Liz Truss at the end of the Conservative Party Conference on Wednesday (Oct. 5), with the country waiting to hear what she had to say about the “mini budget”, tax U-turns, and the cost of living crisis. Wearing a burgundy forever dress by Karen Millen, Truss stood by her decisions as she addressed her political party. But viewers of the 2019 dystopian drama Years And Years couldn’t help but notice an alarming similarity between Truss and the controversial MP Vivienne Rook, played by Emma Thompson.

Even the show’s writer, Russell T Davies, noted the parallel. “This is getting weird 😳,” he wrote on Instagram, accompanied by a side-by-side comparison of Truss and Rook – both wearing eerily similar outfits. Other than a colour difference, both are wearing Millen’s forever dress in pretty much the same style – puffed shoulders, a notched collar, a v-neck front, and a belted waist.

While it would be a dream to be compared to Thompson, Rook isn’t the best politician to bear a resemblance to. She may be fictional, but Davies based her personality, beliefs, and policies on a trio of unsavoury political characters: that of former UKIP leader Nigel Farage, former U.S. President Donald Trump, and French National Rally member Marine Le Pen, per Radio Times.

Millen’s forever dress is a favourite among politicians (real and fictional), celebrities, and even royals. Catherine, Princess of Wales, wore said dress during a visit to the Royal Surrey County Hospital on the same day as the conference, albeit in a bright yellow shade with a pleated skirt and matching belt. Davies is right though, this is definitely getting weird.