Truss declares war on 'enemies' of her plan for growth

The address to members, activists and MPs in Birmingham yesterday came after three days of in-fighting, U-turns and confusion on what was meant to be an opportunity for the Prime Minister to set out her vision for the UK.

Ms Truss’ 36 minute speech, which was light on policy, aimed to set her party against the naysayers of her economic plan, dubbed the “anti-growth coalition” which Downing Street suggested could stretch from Sir Keir Starmer to the celebrity chef, Jamie Oliver.

It was also distrubed by activists from Greenpeace who unfurled a banner which read “who voted for this?” before being ejected from the conference centre.

Ms Truss said that she would make “difficult” but necessary choices to bring about economic growth, promising to steet the country through the “tempest” of recession and to “get Britain moving”.

She said she would do this by pursuing her three priorities of “growth, growth, growth”, seemingly unaware that this was a repeat of a speech by Sir Keir Starmer earlier this year.

The Prime Minister came under fire for once again attacking the record of Roundhay in Leeds where she grew up in the 80s and 90s, accusing the Labour council of being “more interested in political correctness than they were in school standards” and letting children down.

Fabian Hamilton, the North East Leeds MP, said her comments were “disgraceful”, adding: “She says people were 'left behind'. She's right - because the Tories were in power.”

Ms Truss was also criticised for claiming that she was the first Prime Minister to go to a comprehensive school, despite Gordon Brown and Theresa May being among those who attended comprehensives at the time of their education there.

Polling yesterday showed that Ms Truss’ approval rating had slipped to lower than either Jeremy Corbyn or Boris Johnson at their worst points as party leaders, raising fresh concerns on whether she will lead the party into the next general election.

Ministers, backbench MPs and Government sources told The Yorkshire Post that they felt in an impossible situation where they feel they can neither remove the Prime Minister, nor allow the party to continue to slip in the polls.

Conservative sources suggested that if Ms Truss were to be removed, there would need to be a “unity candidate” chosen by Tory MPs, rather than be sent to the membership, with MPs such as Grant Shapps, the former transport minister, and Kit Malthouse, the Education Secretary, amongst named that had been floated as potential candidates.

MPs will return to Parliament next week, where it is likely that Ms Truss’ economic plans will come under greater scrutiny, and Kwasi Kwarteng will be asked to move forward his medium-term economic plan.

It is expected that Liz Truss’ party whips will attempt to impose discipline once MPs return, with threats that backbenchers could lose the party whip if they vote against upcoming fiscal plans.

The Prime Minister’s press secretary said yesterday that MPs should raise their concerns in a “constructive manner” after many MPs took to briefing against their colleagues and Prime Minister on fringe events at Tory conference this week.

Suggestions that a purge of rebel MPs could happen under Ms Truss, as it had under Boris Johnson before the 2019 election, were dismissed by the Dominic Cummings, the former Downing Street aide.

“This will accelerate her removal,” he said on Twitter.