In one of the most famous jokes on the sitcom little englishone of the characters who worked with customer service at the bank emphatically answered every question with “computer says no” (computer says no) after entering data into the computer system and receiving an error message.

Over the years, the phrase has become a common joke to criticize the dehumanization of bureaucratic staff, unable to solve any kind of problem beyond the predetermined response in the system, often ignoring the slightest common sense. But one can imagine that “the computer says no” is exactly what former British finance minister Kwasi Kwarteng thought, seeing on his screen the pound’s fall and interest rates rising to record levels as a result of the announcement. budget plans and tax cuts.

What happened next was something that would be recorded in the history books. Kwarteng was forced to resign just 38 days after being appointed. The only reason he was not the short-lived Secretary of the Treasury in history is because in 1970, Secretary Iain McLeod died of a heart attack after just one month in office.

In a humiliating political capitulation, Prime Minister Liz Truss has been forced, first, to eliminate proposals to lower taxes on top-income earners and, later, to reduce corporate taxes to calm markets. Interestingly, among the measures announced, the ones that will by far have the greatest impact on public coffers are curbs on energy prices; a measure that any European left-wing party would gladly accept. But there is a consensus that it is a necessary measure to avoid an economic and social catastrophe this winter.

Not so with tax cuts disguised as a measure to revive economic growth. With its ruling, markets have made it clear that they do not believe the tax cuts will pay for themselves, even if Truss remains anchored to Reagan’s economic ideas and “dripping economy“—the idea that lower corporate taxes and higher income lead to greater economic growth. The lack of confidence in the sustainability of public accounts has translated into higher interest rates. Spain would do well to be noticed, regardless of the color of the next government.

Unfortunately, especially for those of us who have made this country our adopted home, the political and financial turmoil of the last few weeks has been nothing more than a continuation of the political and economic slump the UK has experienced since the referendum to leave the country. European Union in 2016. Fortunately, the country’s greatness is above its rulers, no matter how much they remain determined to turn Great Britain into little english.

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