Liz Truss has promised to “forge ahead” on a “long term path to national success,” in her speech at the Tory Party conference in Birmingham this morning.
In her half an hour speech, the new PM promised that “the status quo is not an option” and pledged to “level up our country in a Conservative way.”
Truss said that instead of working out how to distribute a limited economic pie, the country needs to grow the pie so that “everyone has a bigger slice.”
“I have three priorities for our economy: growth, growth and growth,” the PM added.
But for all her assurances, the strains of the fallout from Truss’ mini budget were all too visible. The PM’s speech contained nothing that we haven’t heard before, instead focusing on lauding the value of her economic plans – and skirting over the more painful issues.
Pressure is mounting on Truss to commit to increasing benefits in line with inflation – including from former leadership rival Penny Mordaunt – so, naturally she avoided the subject entirely.
Truss also chose to reiterate Kwarteng’s line on the 45p tax U-turn: “I get it. And I have listened.”
If the Tory Party needed reminding of the backlash they have faced in recent days – and if the protests outside the conference weren’t enough – the PM saws her speech interrupted by two protestors holding a Greenpeace banner reading “Who voted for this?.”
In a brilliant display of preparedness, the two dissenters managed to pull out a second identical banner after having the first snatched from their hands; The Hound wonders how many more they had stuffed up their sleeves.
