Piers Morgan has slammed Liz Truss for “sulking” after she was ambushed by a banner referencing the lettuce that famously outlasted her time as Prime Minister.
In the middle of the humiliated ex-PM’s speech about Donald Trump, the political campaign group Led By Donkeys dropped a pre-planted banner showing a lettuce with the phrase “I crashed the economy” which led to the event being halted as the 49-day Prime Minister left the stage.
Reflecting on the incident nearly 24 hours later, the UK’s shortest serving PM and ousted MP Truss condemned the act, stating: “What happened last night was not funny. Far-left activists disrupted the event, which then had to be stopped for security reasons. This is done to intimidate people and suppress free speech. I won’t stand for it. Would we see the same reaction if the activists were far-right?”
READ MORE: What Liz Truss has been up to since losing seat – from lettuce row to Elon Musk love-in
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(Image: Led By Donkeys))
With Liz Truss often touting freedom of speech as a key principle, most recently in connection to social media posts about the mass stabbing in Southport, Piers Morgan did not mince his words. The talk show host argued it was in fact Truss who had limited her own speech.
He quipped: “Actually, it was very funny, the banner was entirely accurate, and you suppressed your own free speech by stomping off in a sulky strop.”
In a video showing the moment that banner slowly unfurled behind her at the event, Liz Truss began faltering, saying: “I support Trump and I want him to win… But what I was saying about incumbents, I think the average American is not doing well and people do vote on…” The embarrassing moment happened at Beccles public hall in Suffolk, where she was promoting her book 10 Years To Save The West.
As the former PM noticed the banner, the organisers were heard asking how it got there in the first place, as Ms Truss walked off stage. She was heard saying: “That’s not funny.”
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Daily Star)
Ms Truss became synonymous with lettuces after the Daily Star newspaper wagered that her reign as PM would not outlast one – and ran a livestream to prove it. The paper declared victory when she was forced to quit No10 before the iceberg lettuce in a wig and googly ears expired. She has previously described the lettuce debacle as “puerile” and claimed the media didn’t understand her ideas.
The latest prank was organised by anti-Brexit protest group Led By Donkeys, who have orchestrated similar stunts in the past, but the Pro-EU group has rarely been described as left wing.
Former Jeremy Corbyn spokesperson Matt Zarb-Cousin responded to Truss’ statement on Twitter, saying: “Led By Donkeys are not far left. But they are as entitled to freedom of speech as you.”