UK Prime Minister Liz Truss on Wednesday pledged to steer Britain through “stormy days”, in a speech that was interrupted by Greenpeace protesters. This was Truss’ first address at Conservative Party conference after she became PM.
“We gather at a vital time for the United Kingdom. These are stormy days,” she said, referring to the COVID-19 pandemic, war in Ukraine and the death of Britain’s longest reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth.
“In these tough times, we need to step up. I’m determined to get Britain moving, to get us through the tempest and to put us on a stronger footing.”
Truss’ first month in office has been chaotic, especially after her announcement of a new economic policy that created panic among investors. A U-turn on such a major policy in very first month in power sent Truss’ approval ratings below those of Boris Johnson, the former UK PM who Truss succeeded. The Conservative conference was supposed to be Truss’ crowning glory but situation turned it into a personal nightmare.
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“Cutting taxes is the right thing to do, morally and economically,” Truss said, adding that the scale of the challenge ahead was “immense”.
“For too long, the political debate has been dominated by how we distribute a limited economic pie. Instead, we need to grow the pie so that everyone gets a bigger slice,” she said in the central English city of Birmingham.
“That is why I am determined to take a new approach and break us out of this high-tax, low-growth cycle.”
Greenpeace protest
The PM’s speech was interrupted by Greenpeace protesters in the audience who held up a banner that said “who voted for this?”
The protesters accused the PM of backtracking on her promises
The pair — Rebecca Newsom and Ami McCarthy — were ejected from the venue in Birmingham, central England, to cheers and applause from delegates.
In a statement afterward, Newsom accused Truss of putting most of the Tories’ 2019 election pledges “through the shredder”
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“People voted for strong action on climate, a fracking moratorium, world-leading environmental protections and tackling poverty and inequality,” she added.
“What they’re getting instead is fracking, a potential bonfire of rules on wildlife and nature protection, and now the prospect of benefit cuts.”
(With inputs from agencies)
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