A Tory MP said Liz Truss is ‘not under a desk’ and the internet had a field day

As Liz Truss’s administration descends into barely-tenable chaos, the prime minister herself decided not to come to the House of Commons and answer an urgent question from Labour. Instead, she sent Penny Mordaunt out to bat, who was forced to clarify: “The prime minister is not under a desk”.

Despite Mordaunt reassuring MPs there was a “very good reason” for Truss to be absent, it couldn’t stem the flow of mockery.

Just to recap: Truss is facing a crisis after sacking chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng on Friday and replacing him with Jeremy Hunt, who on Monday announced U-turns on the bulk of the economic measures announced in her mini-budget.

Naturally, the internet’s reactions were brutal. Here are the best.

If you haven’t seen the “the prime minister is not under a desk” clip, here it is

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And it was hardly convincing

Nor did it really mark our storied democracy’s finest hour

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Mordaunt also told MPs Truss had been ‘detained on urgent business’

Which also went down badly

The vagueness is hardly helpful

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Some speculated Truss may, in fact, be avoiding embarrassing questions

While it’s only natural to draw parallels to another great British institution known for chewing through members

It makes you wonder: who is actually in charge here?

The United Kingdom: a nation beloved for its pageantry, tradition, and sense of humour