LONDON: Accusing the new British PM Liz Truss of ‘shredding’ the Conservative party’s 2019 manifesto promises, activists from the environmental group Greenpeace disrupted her speech as Prime Minister on Wednesday, media reports said.
The incident took place at the Conservative Party conference speech when two female activists held up a flag that read “Who voted for this?.” “Let’s get them removed,” said Truss and once the security guards escorted out the duo, Truss made a witty remark saying that the “anti-growth coalition” had arrived at the hall “a bit too early,” reported CNN.
Later, Greenpeace confirmed that its activists were responsible for the disruption. Taking to Twitter, the group 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?,” Greenpeace said in a tweet.
Further taking a jibe at Truss’ remark it questioned, “Anti-growth? Hands up if you DIDN’T sink the pound to an all-time low.”
The conference comes in the backdrop of a U-turn on Monday over a proposal to cut the top rate of UK income tax. The announcement of cutting the top slab of UK income tax has sent the pound to historic lows and sparked market chaos, reported CNN.
Moreover, speculations are rife that the move will help the rich people at a time when many Britons are living through the worst cost-of-living crisis for decades.
Truss became prime minister one month ago after succeeding Boris Johnson. Her speech was abundant with concerns over the global economic crisis. “In these tough times, we need to step up,” she said at the conference.
Conservative members of parliament during the conference voiced their fears that the combination of “tax cuts” along with “huge public spending” to help people cope with energy bills, rising inflation, rising interest rates and a falling pound are going to make winning the next general election impossible, reported CNN. (ANI)