A DEFIANT Liz Truss hit out at Tory rebels today as she vowed to ignore her detractors and help hard-up Brits through the crippling cost of living crisis.
In a keynote speech at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham this morning, the PM pledged to deliver for the country by boosting economic growth and making Brits richer.
She vowed: “I’m not interested in just talking about things, but actually in doing things.
“In these tough times, we need to step up. I’m determined to get Britain moving, to get us through the tempest and to put us on a stronger footing as a nation.
“Let me be clear, we have your back.”
The PM mentioned the word “growth” 27 times, as she promised to do whatever it takes to make wages go up and bring better jobs to working people.
She said she’s witnessed first hand the depressing sight of boarded up shops, people desperately turning to drugs and families struggling to put on the table.
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“Low growth isn’t just numbers on a spreadsheet,” Ms Truss said.
“Low growth means lower wages, fewer opportunities and less money to spend on the things that make life better.”
The defiant PM added: “That is why we must level up our country in a Conservative way, ensuring that everywhere everyone can get on.”
And she promised to do so by funding “the furthest behind first”.
In a swipe at the Tory rebels undermining her premiership, Ms Truss said: “I know how it feels to have your potential diminished by those who think they know better.”
The PM added she’s used to being treated differently “for being female, or for not fitting in”.
But this only made her more “determined to change things”.
Ms Truss swore to protect vulnerable Brits from soaring energy bills.
Last month the government introduced its Energy Price Guarantee, which will cap bills for the average household at £2,500.
The PM pledged: “We are determined to shield people from astronomically high bills.
“Our response to the energy crisis was the biggest part of the mini-Budget.
“It was the biggest part for a good reason – because we had to do it.”
Ms Truss doubled down on her low tax, low state agenda, which has caused a stir in the party since she won the keys to No10 just weeks ago.
“We need to grow the pie so everybody gets a bigger slice,” she said.
And showing off her pro-business credentials, the PM added: “I love business. I love enterprise. I love people who take responsibility, start their own businesses and invest.
“We will back business to the hilt. We’re cutting targets. We’re simplifying red tape.
“Our greatest days lie ahead.”
Addressing a major concern of her haters, the PM promised to “bring down debt as proportion of national income”.
But Ms Truss didn’t specify when or how she will do it.
In the middle of Ms Truss’ speech Green Peace activists staged an attention seeking protest.
But Ms Truss didn’t let the disruption rain on her parade.
Lambasting the activists she said described them as the “anti growth coalition”.
Audience members shouted “out, out, out” as security escorted them from the hall.
The new Prime Minister is on the offensive after warnings she could be ousted within weeks amid increasingly bitter party infighting.
Cabinet ministers privately think a general election next year is inevitable as the Conservatives are an “ungovernable rabble”.
But after days of civil war at the Birmingham conference, Ms Truss doubled down on her dash to grow the economy with tax cuts.
She said: “Whenever there is change, there is disruption.
“Not everyone will be in favour. But everyone will benefit.”
This morning’s address, a takedown of the people and institutions she believes are holding Britain back, comes just a month after she took office.
But Ms Truss risks another row by hitting out at doomsday economists and her critics in think tanks and the BBC.
She said: “The Lib Dems, the SNP, the militant unions, the vested interests, the Brexit deniers, Extinction Rebellion and some of the people we had in the hallway earlier. They prefer talking on Twitter to taking tough decisions.”
The PM insisted it is time to “build a new Britain for a new era” in the face of this “anti-growth coalition”.
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The PM’s speech comes as a new flank opened in the Government’s civil war with two senior Cabinet ministers turning on her for climbdown in the 45p tax rate row.
There is also continuing bickering over a real-terms cut to benefits.
Downing Street is eyeing raising Universal Credit by the rate of pay rises rather than inflation next April, with a possible saving of more than £5billion.
Former minister Michael Gove, seen out for a run in Birmingham yesterday, is leading rebel MPs.
On Tuesday Home Secretary Suella Braverman accused Ms Truss of surrendering to a coup orchestrated by the left of the party.
She said she was frustrated the PM had abandoned her plan to scrap the top rate of income tax for those earning over £150,000.
Voicing her support for the toxic 45p tax cut, Ms Braverman said: “I am disappointed that members of our party staged a coup and undermined the PM in an unprofessional way.”
She was supported by Levelling Up Secretary Simon Clarke, who insisted: “Suella speaks a lot of good sense, as usual.”
But former pensions minister Guy Opperman reckoned: “Suella is 110 per cent wrong on this.”
And backbencher Steve Double piled in to say: “Doing what we believe to be right for our constituents is not a coup or unprofessional. It’s called doing our job as backbench MPs. If this is the approach the Cabinet take we’re in for a bumpy time.”
Trade minister Kemi Badenoch, a darling of the Tory grassroots, hit out at “inflammatory” suggestions a coup had taken place.
In a round of interviews Ms Truss insisted she had rowed back from her tax plan after listening to colleagues’ concerns.
