Greenpeace protesters gatecrash British PM’s crucial speech

Birmingham: Greenpeace protesters have interrupted Liz Truss’s first speech as prime minister to the Conservative Party conference.

But the moment appeared to sway support in favour of the embattled leader, whose set-piece address to the conference was seen as a make-or-break moment in her attempt to recover her flailing month-old premiership.

Greenpeace protesters disrupt British Prime Minister’s Liz Truss keynote speech at the conservative party’s conference.Credit: Getty Images

The interruption took place in the opening minutes of Truss’ 30-minute speech to party members.

Greenpeace’s head of public affairs, Rebecca Newsom, and policy officer, Ami McCarthy, held up a banner that read “who voted for this” and called out “who voted for fracking” — a reference to Truss’ green light for the resumption of extracting coal-seam gas in Britain.

Truss said: “Let’s get them removed” and members in the hall began to chant “out, out, out”, applauded the prime minister, cheered “c’mon Liz”, and gave her a standing ovation.

The protesters were hauled out of the room.

UK Prime Minister Liz Truss makes a speech at the Conservative Party conference.Credit: AP

Truss joked that she would be addressing the “anti-growth coalition” later in her speech, but that they had brought it up too early.

She defended her plan for economic growth that has put her offside with her parliamentary colleagues, culminating in a humiliating backdown over her plan to cut the top rate of tax.

“I get it, I’m listening,” said Truss, who walked on stage to M People’s Moving on Up.

Truss is hoping the address will calm her turbulent new government, which has been embroiled in bitter infighting following her and the chancellor’s decision to announce £45 billion ($79 billion) worth of spending funded by higher borrowing.

She did not set out any new policies nor give any hints about how to pay for the plan, but pledged she would be fiscally responsible.

“I am determined to get Britain moving, to get us through the tempest and put us on a stronger footing as a nation,” she said.

Cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg said it was an amazing speech, when asked by The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age if Truss had done enough to calm the dissent.

“It was an amazing speech and it’s what Conservatives believe, I thought it was truly excellent,” he said.

Tory party member Emma Supple attending the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham.Credit: Latika Bourke

Emma Supple, a party member and Tory councillor in north London voted for Truss over Rishi Sunak in the leadership election. But when asked if she thought Truss’ performance showed she was capable of winning election, she said: “Not yet. We’re definitely looking at a new Labour government coming in, there’s no doubt about it.”

But the 53-year-old said Truss had performed better than she had expected.

“It’s been such a turbulent couple of days with the U-turn which by anybody’s optics is just dreadful,” she said.

“I thought she looked positive, poised”, but added that among party members “there was no buzz” for Truss.

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