Kwasi Kwarteng’s “we get it” statement, in which he revealed that he was backtracking on plans to scrap the 45p tax rate, has been roasted on social media – with many comparing his words to those of Shiv Roy in the HBO satire Succession.
On Monday (3 October), the chancellor said in a statement that “we get it and we have listened”, following a fierce backlash to the move, which makes those earning over £150,000 a year richer as the poorest people struggle, in the worst cost-of-living crisis the UK has seen for decades.
Kwarteng’s statement sounded all too familiar to some on social media, who compared it to a speech given by Sarah Snook’s character Shiv Roy in Succession.
In season three of the hit show, Shiv used the phrase “we get it” while addressing Waystar Royco employees after a series of scandals hit the company.
“Does the UK government have the same PR advisers as Waystar Royco?” joked one Twitter user.
“The line from Succession? Really?” added another, while a third posted: “Y’all really used a Succession strategy.”
“It’s literally a joke,” wrote a fourth.
Kwarteng’s U-turn comes after Conservative big-hitters Michael Gove and Grant Shapps spoke out against handing huge rewards to the rich while benefits are set to be cut in real terms.
Read more updates on the U-turn here on The Independent’s politics live blog.
