BIRMINGHAM, England – Prime Minister Liz Truss pledged on Wednesday to steer Britain through “stormy days” and transform its economy, fighting to restore her authority over a party in revolt after a chaotic first month in office.

Addressing Conservative lawmakers and members at an annual conference overshadowed by internal bickering and confusion over policy, Ms Truss sought to reassure investors her plan would reignite growth and unite a divided country.

An early interruption from protesters appeared to fire her up and the audience.  

"We gather at a vital time for the United Kingdom. These are stormy days," she said, referring to the Covid-19 pandemic, war in Ukraine and the death of Britain's longest-reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth.

“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,” she said.

The conference, once expected to be Ms Truss’ crowning glory after she became prime minister on Sept 6, has turned into a personal nightmare after she announced a new economic policy that sparked a crisis of confidence among investors.

Her attempt to cut £45 billion (S$73 billion) of taxes and hike government borrowing has sent markets into a tailspin and left her party facing potential electoral collapse.

As she started to speak, two protesters held up a sign asking, “Who voted for this?” 

Ms Truss paused her speech, as the protesters shouted slogans, including “Who voted for fracking?”

The protesters were escorted away by security personnel, as the crowd chanted, “Out! Out! Out!”

Ms Truss laughed, and then resumed: “Later on in my speech, my friends, I am going to talk about the anti-growth coalition. But I think they arrived at the hall a bit too early."

Bitter break-up

Ms Truss marched to the lectern for the most important speech of her political career on Wednesday – accompanied by a song that is ironically about a bitter break-up.

Her arrival song was Moving On Up by M People, presumably to chime with the conference slogan of “Getting Britain Moving”.  But its lyrics – in fact a stinging goodbye to a cheating lover – could have rung true with those already calling for Ms Truss to go.

Opinion polls have increasingly signalled the country’s deep unhappiness at her shock-and-awe economic policies.

For many of her Tory critics, Ms Truss is already drinking in the last-chance saloon just a month into her premiership.

Ms Truss, elected by party members and not the broader electorate, was addressing her party after she was forced to reverse plans to scrap the top rate of tax.

She acknowledged that change brings “disruption”.

But she told party members and lawmakers that she wanted to build a "new Britain for the new era".

"For too long, the political debate has been dominated by how we distribute a limited economic pie. Instead, we need to grow the pie so that everyone gets a bigger slice," she said. "That is why I am determined to take a new approach and break us out of this high-tax, low-growth cycle."

No new ground

As it was, the speech broke no new policy ground, but recapped Ms Truss’ life story and her low-tax, anti-European Union, patriotic mantra.

It avoided the gaffes that made a 2014 conference speech by Ms Truss go viral.  Then environment minister, she delivered a stilting and surreal turn in praise of British pork and cheese.

While no disgrace, her leader’s speech did showcase some of the traits that make Ms Truss such a wooden orator.  She smiled oddly at serious moments, then looked oddly determined in lighter sections.

Eyes staring, leaning forward, she declared her three priorities were “growth, growth, growth”.

Tentative applause built from the hall when she praised Mr Kwasi Kwarteng as her “dynamic” chancellor of the exchequer.  And she continued to speak before finally realising that it was a moment to pause and let the party give its approval of the embattled minister after a disastrous few days.

For many in the audience, Ms Truss, who has admitted that she is not the slickest communicator, has done a decent job at a time when she is under pressure from what one Conservative member called “some snakes in the party” undermining her plans.  

She may have bought herself a little more time to reassert herself over a party that is increasingly divided and fearful about opinion polls showing it could be all but wiped out in a national election.

“I am ready to make hard choices. You can trust me to do what it takes. The status quo is not an option,” she told the party faithful.

Madam Khatija Meaby, a 75-year-old grandmother from London, said Ms Truss “is never going to be an electrifying speaker. However, she is right that we have to grow the economy”. 

Another conference attendee, Mr Dimabo Wolseley, 51, a barrister, said Ms Truss had appeared “very confident”, despite the “snakes in the party”. REUTERS, AFP