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Kwasi Kwarteng’s ‘we get it’ statement roasted for resembling Shiv Roy Succession speech

‘Does the UK government have the same PR advisers as Waystar Royco?’ joked one person

Ellie Harrison
Tuesday 04 October 2022 14:27 BST
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Kwasi Kwarteng jokes tax cut plan 'caused a little turbulence' as he addresses U-turn

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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.

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