Former British Prime Minister Liz Truss has imagined a future in which Britain launches several missions to Mars by 2040, as part of a wider vision set out in her new book, Bank Job.
In the book, Truss revisits the economic and political crisis that followed her government’s 2022 mini-budget. She challenges accounts that blame her policies for the turmoil and argues that institutions including the Bank of England and the Treasury played a significant role in the events that brought down her government.
The final chapter, titled “2040”, presents an imagined account of how Britain could look by the end of the next decade if the policies she advocates were pursued. Among the changes described are the repeal of the Equality Act, the Human Rights Act and the Climate Change Act. Truss also imagines a more ambitious British space programme. “Several missions to Mars have now been launched from Britain’s space port,” she writes.
The account is a hypothetical vision, rather than an announcement of an existing government plan. Britain has two spaceports, including SaxaVord in Shetland, which is designed for vertical rocket launches. The report notes that a Mars mission would require capabilities far beyond those needed to launch small satellites into orbit.
Truss became prime minister in September 2022 and resigned after 49 days, making her the shortest-serving prime minister in British history. Her brief time in office was marked by financial market turmoil following the mini-budget, while inflation was above 10 per cent. Queen Elizabeth II also passed on during her premiership. Truss later lost her parliamentary seat to Labour at the 2024 general election.
Since leaving office, she has continued to speak publicly about her political views and the circumstances surrounding her departure from Downing Street. In March, she suggested that people in the UK should have the right to bear arms, arguing that the state could abuse its power.
Bank Job: A Short Book on How the Bank of England Broke the Bond Market and Brought Down the Government is her second book since leaving office. Her first, Ten Years to Save the West, was published in 2024 and reflected on her political career and the challenges facing Western countries.
Her latest book has received criticism from reviewers. A writer for The Daily Telegraph described it as “the most deranged things I’ve ever read”, while the Financial Times also questioned its central argument.