Liz Truss vows to ‘get Britain through the tempest’ in keynote speech amid cabinet split as she is heckled
Liz Truss vowed to “get Britain through the tempest” and insisted “everyone will benefit” from the result of her economic policies in her keynote conference speech during which she was heckled by Greenpeace supporters.
Addressing Conservative members at the event in Birmingham, as she battles to save her premiership, the prime minister acknowledged that “these are stormy days”.
“In these tough times, we need to step up,” she continued.
“I am determined to get Britain moving, to get us through the tempest and put us on a stronger footing as a nation.”
Liz Truss’s speech stopped by protest – Politics latest
She continued: “Whenever there is change there is disruption. Not everyone will be in favour but everyone will benefit from the result.”
Ms Truss was interrupted by two Greenpeace protesters who heckled: “Who voted for this,” as they held up a banner.
They were quickly removed by security in the conference hall.
In a tweet after the incident, Greenpeace said activists were there to “denounce the prime minister ‘shredding’ her party’s 2019 manifesto promises”.
“The PM is U-turning on fracking, strong climate action, and world-leading environmental protections. Who voted for this?”
Continuing, the PM told the audience she and Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng “will keep closely co-ordinating our monetary and fiscal policy” after the government’s tax-cutting mini-budget saw the pound slump to a record level.
She promised “an iron grip on the nation’s finances” and vowed to break Britain out of a “high-tax, low-growth cycle”, adding: “The chancellor and I are in lockstep on this.”
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Protesters interrupt Truss speech
Ms Truss said she is “working flat out” to make sure people can get through the economic crisis.
“So let me be clear: we have your back,” the PM added.
The PM said she and Mr Kwarteng U-turned on abolishing the 45p tax rate on top earners because it “became a distraction”.
“I get it and I have listened,” she told the audience.
The tax cut for the wealthiest 1% was one of a raft announced by Mr Kwarteng in his mini-budget less than two weeks ago that led to market turmoil – with the pound plummeting, the Bank of England having to step in to rescue pension funds and mortgage products being withdrawn.
On Tuesday, Home Secretary Suella Braverman accused Tory MPs of staging a “coup” against the PM over the 45p tax rate.
Fellow cabinet minister Simon Clarke also publicly disclosed his objection to the reversal of the policy.
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Outlining her three priorities for Britain’s economy: “growth, growth and growth”, Ms Truss said she “will not allow the anti-growth coalition of Labour, the Lib Dems and the SNP to hold us back”.
She accused Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer of having “no long-term plan and no vision for Britain”.
Hinting at more “disruption”, the PM also promised that her government will always be “fiscally responsible”.
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Truss: ‘No shame’ over tax U-turn
Ms Truss received applause for saying she is the first prime minister to have attended a comprehensive school.
However, former Labour prime minister Gordon Brown also did so.
The prime minister walked onto the stage to M-People’s ‘Moving on Up’.
But one member of the 90s dance band was not pleased with the song being used, posting on social media: “I don’t want my song being a soundtrack to lies.”
Labour also pointed out that Heather Small from M-People has attended Labour dinners in the past and that her son is a recently elected Labour councillor.
The first standing ovation came when Ms Truss referenced the war in Ukraine, telling the audience of Tory members: “We will make sure this never happens again.”
But the speech, which was just over half an hour long, contained no new policy announcements and made no reference to benefits – which the PM is facing another split within her cabinet over.
On Tuesday, Leader of the House of Commons Penny Mordaunt joined backbench rebels in calling for welfare payments to be raised in line with inflation, which has been at around 10%, rather than earnings at 5%.
Two additional cabinet ministers have also told Sky News that they believe benefits should be uprated in line with inflation.
While it is understood that Chairman of the 1922 Committee of backbench Conservative MPs Sir Graham Brady has warned Ms Truss that any attempt to uprate benefits by average earnings rather than by inflation is unlikely to get through Parliament.
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Do the public and cabinet still trust Truss?
But closing her first conference speech as PM, Ms Truss vowed to “stay the course” amid the infighting within the Conservative Party over her policy agenda.
She urged both Tory members and MPs to “trust me to do what it takes” to push through her “difficult but necessary” pro-growth agenda.
“The status quo is not an option. That is why we can’t give in to the voices of decline,” she said.
“We can’t give in to those who say Britain can’t grow faster. We can’t give in to those who say we can’t do better.”
Responding to the speech, Labour’s shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves said: “The most important thing the prime minister can do right now to stabilise the economy is to immediately reverse her government’s kamikaze budget when Parliament returns next week.”
While Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey described the address as a “disaster for families and the economy”.
Ms Truss exited the stage to applause and quickly left the conference venue.
The UK will “set out a plan” to lift defence spending to 2.5% of national income in the spring, the prime minister has said, finally offering a timeframe for an announcement on the long-awaited hike after mounting criticism.
Sir Keir Starmer gave the date during a phone call with Mark Rutte, the secretary general of NATO, in the wake of threats by Moscow to target UK and US military facilities following a decision by London and Washington to let Ukraine fire their missiles inside Russia.
There was no clarity though on when the 2.5% level will be achieved. The UK says it currently spends around 2.3% of GDP on defence.
Ukraine leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Sir Keir Starmer and NATO boss Mark Rutte in October. Pic: PA
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A spokeswoman for Downing Street said that the two men “began by discussing the situation in Ukraine and reiterated the importance of putting the country in the strongest possible position going into the winter”.
They also talked about the deployment of thousands of North Korean soldiers to fight alongside Russia.
“The prime minister underscored the need for all NATO countries to step up in support of our collective defence and updated on the government’s progress on the strategic defence review,” the spokeswoman said.
“His government would set out the path to 2.5% in the spring.”
The defence review will also be published in the spring.
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While a date for an announcement on 2.5% will be welcomed by the Ministry of Defence, analysts have long warned that such an increase is still well below the amount that is needed to rebuild the armed forces after decades of decline to meet growing global threats from Russia, an increasingly assertive China, North Korea and Iran.
They say the UK needs to be aiming to hit at least 3% – probably higher.
With Donald Trump returning to the White House, there will be significantly more pressure on the UK and other European NATO allies to accelerate increases in defence spending.
Snow, rain and strong winds are expected to disrupt travel plans and potentially cause flooding as Storm Bert hits the UK.
Several weather warnings are in place, while 16 flood alerts have been issued – warning flooding is possible – in England and Scotland.
Most of the UK is affected by yellow warnings for either wind, rain or snow, with a slightly more severe amber warning covering parts of northern England and central Scotland.
Two areas of Ireland have been issued a rare red warning for heavy rain until 10am.
Check out the forecast in your area
London, East Anglia, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Hull and swathes of the Midlands are the only parts with no current warnings in place.
The warnings in place. Pic: Met Office
Met Office meteorologist Aidan McGivern described a “multiple hazard event” going into Saturday morning.
“We’ll see two to four hours of heavy snow across parts of northern England and Scotland during Saturday morning,” he said.
“This snow will accumulate thick and fast, with five to 10cm at lower levels and as much as 20 to 40cm over hills accompanied by strong winds.
“You can expect blizzards over hills across northern England and Scotland, atrocious conditions for travelling and going over the hills and also the risk of power interruptions because of snow build up on power lines.
“So all in all, a multiple hazard event as we go into Saturday morning.”
Temperatures will rise quickly as the storm brings milder air from the Atlantic, he said, resulting in a “rapid thaw” by the afternoon.
What the weather warnings mean
• Yellow – people are advised to check the details of the forecast and consider extra steps to minimise any impact, while disruption is likely, particularly for travel;
• Amber – disruption is more likely and more widespread and people are advised to change plans impacted by weather;
• Red – reserved for very dangerous weather that can pose a danger to life and cause substantial travel disruption.
Travel disruption
While airports are not expecting disruption, rail companies have announced service changes over the weekend.
In Scotland, there will be speed restrictions on the West Highland Line, Highland Mainline, Stranraer Line, Glasgow South Western Line, Far North Line, and West Coast Mainline between Carstairs and the border.
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ScotRail has also withdrawn services from Inverness to Elgin, Aberdeen to Inverurie, and Glasgow Queen Street to Oban.
The TransPennine Express, meanwhile, “strongly” urged customers not to travel north of Carlisle on Saturday and Avanti West Coast advised against travel north of Preston.
UK
Gatwick Airport: Police release two people who were detained amid security incident as South Terminal reopens
Two people detained during a security incident at Gatwick Airport have been allowed to continue their journeys after a suspect package saw a “large part” of the South Terminal evacuated.
The terminal was closed for hours after the discovery of a “suspected prohibited item” in a passenger’s luggage sparked an emergency response. It reopened at around 3.45pm.
Officers from the EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) team “made the package safe” before handing the airport back to its operator, Sussex Police said.
Read more:
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Passengers at Gatwick Airport after flights were cancelled. Pic: PA
Their statement continued: “Two people who were detained while enquiries were ongoing have subsequently been allowed to continue their journeys.
“There will remain an increased police presence in the area to assist with passengers accessing the South Terminal for onward travel.”
The force also thanked the public and airport staff for their patience while the incident was ongoing.
Earlier the airport, which is the UK’s second busiest, said the terminal was evacuated after a “security incident”.
“The earlier security alert has now been resolved and cleared by police,” it later said in a statement on Friday afternoon.
“The South Terminal is reopening to staff and will be open to passengers shortly.”
Gatwick said some flights were cancelled while others were delayed.
It said passengers should contact their airlines for any updates on flights.
Footage on social media taken outside the airport showed crowds of travellers heading away from the terminal building.
“Arrived at London Gatwick for routine connection. Got through customs to find out they’re evacuating the entire airport,” one passenger said.
“Even people through security are being taken outside. Trains shut down,” another passenger added, who said “thousands” of people were forced to leave.
Another passenger said people near the gates were being told to stay there and not go back to the departure lounge.
People outside the airport were handed blankets and water, passengers told Sky News.
The airport said its North Terminal was still operating normally.
Gatwick Express said its trains did not call at Gatwick Airport during the police response, but the airport said trains would start calling there again once the terminal was fully reopened.
More than 600 flights were due to take off or land at Gatwick on Friday, amounting to more than 121,000 passenger seats, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.
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