The speech to Conservative Party members, which lasted less than a half-hour and made no mention of benefits, was about the PM’s impending cabinet break.
During her keynote party conference speech, during which she was heckled by climate activists, Liz Truss vowed to “guide Britain through the storm” and declared “everyone will profit” from the results of her economic policies.
In her speech to Conservative members in Birmingham, where she was attempting to rescue her leadership, the prime minister acknowledged that “these are turbulent times.”
“We must rise to the occasion in these trying times,” she concluded.
I am determined to get Britain moving, to get us through the storm and onto a firmer national basis.
She went on: “There is disturbance whenever there is a shift. Not everyone will support the proposal, but everyone will benefit from the outcome.”
Two Greenpeace demonstrators shouted, “Who voted for this?” while holding a banner in front of Ms. Truss.
Security swiftly removed them from the meeting hall.
Greenpeace stated in a tweet that activists were present to “denounce the prime minister for shredding her party’s 2019 manifesto promises.”
The team added: “The prime minister is reversing his position on fracking, climate change, and world-leading environmental protections. Who supported this?”
Ms. Truss continued by stating that she and Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng “will continue closely coordinating our monetary and fiscal policy” after the government’s tax-cutting mini-budget caused the pound to drop to a record low.
“The Chancellor and I are in sync”
She pledged “iron control” over the nation’s finances and vowed to pull Britain out of a “high-tax, low-growth cycle,” adding, “The chancellor and I are in lockstep on this issue.”
Ms. Truss stated that she is “working nonstop” to ensure that people can weather the economic crisis.
“We have your back,” the prime minister stated.
The head of the Conservative Party stated that she and Mr. Kwarteng reversed their position on axing the 45p tax rate on high earnings because it “become a distraction.”
She addressed the gathering, “I understand and I’ve listened.”
The tax cut for the wealthiest 1% was one of a slew of measures revealed by Mr. Kwarteng in his mini-budget less than two weeks ago that caused market turbulence, with the pound plunging, mortgage products being withdrawn, and the Bank of England having to intervene to save pension funds.
Tuesday, the Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, accused Conservative MPs of attempting a “coup” against the Prime Minister over the 45p tax rate.
Simon Clarke, a fellow cabinet minister, also openly voiced his opposition to the policy shift.
“Growth, expansion, and expansion”
Ms. Truss stated that she “would not let the anti-growth combination of Labour, the Lib Dems, and the SNP to hold us back” as she listed her three economic priorities: “growth, growth, and growth.”
She claimed that the head of the Labour Party, Sir Keir Starmer, has “no long-term plan and no vision for Britain.”
In addition to threatening greater “disruption,” the prime minister pledged that her government will always be “financially prudent.”
Ms. Truss was applauded when she stated that she is the first prime minister to have attended a comprehensive school.
Gordon Brown attended a public school that was once selective but is now comprehensive, John Major attended a grammar school that is now comprehensive, and Theresa May attended a grammar school that was transformed into a comprehensive while she was a student there.
I do not want my music to be exploited as the soundtrack to lies.
The prime minister entered the stage with the song “Moving on Up” by M People.
But a member of the 1990s dance band expressed displeasure on social media, writing, “I don’t want my song to be the soundtrack of lies.”
In addition, Labour noted that Heather Small from M People had previously attended Labour dinners and that her son was just elected as a Labour councilor.
The first standing ovation occurred when Ms. Truss mentioned the war in Ukraine and told the audience of Conservatives, “We will never allow this to happen again.”
However, the speech, which lasted just over a quarter of an hour, had no fresh policy pronouncements and made no mention of benefits, over which the prime minister faces another cabinet rift.
Penny Mordaunt, the leader of the House of Commons, joined rebel backbenchers on Tuesday in demanding for welfare payments be increased in line with inflation, which has been about 10%, rather than earnings, which have been at 5%.
“The status quo cannot continue”
Two additional cabinet ministers told that they believe benefits should be increased by the rate of inflation.
It is believed that Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 Committee of backbench Conservative MPs, has cautioned Ms. Truss that any move to increase benefits based on average earnings rather than inflation is unlikely to pass Parliament.
To conclude her maiden conference speech as prime minister, Ms. Truss vowed to “keep the course” despite the Conservative Party infighting over her policy agenda.
She asked both Tory members and MPs to “trust me to do whatever it takes” to advance her “tough but essential” pro-growth agenda.
“The status quo cannot be maintained. Therefore, we cannot succumb to the voices of decline “She stated,
“We cannot concede to those who assert Britain cannot grow more rapidly. We cannot concede to those who assert that we cannot do better.”
‘Reverse kamikaze budget’
Rachel Reeves, the shadow chancellor for Labour, responded to the speech by stating, “The most important thing the prime minister can do immediately to stabilize the economy is to quickly reverse her government’s kamikaze budget when Parliament returns next week.
Sir Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats, characterized the speech as “a disaster for people and the economy.”
Ms. Truss exited the platform amid applause and left the conference venue immediately.
Following her address, the under-pressure pound dropped against the US dollar.
