Liz Truss responds after lettuce banner prank | Politics News

A lettuce-themed banner prank at an occasion Liz Truss was talking at was “not humorous”, in accordance with the previous prime minister, who additionally accused “far-left activists” who unfurled it of making an attempt to “suppress” free speech.

She earlier stormed off stage after a banner that includes a lettuce and the phrases “I crashed the economic system” unfurled behind her at an occasion.

Ms Truss initially didn’t touch upon the stunt, however on Wednesday posted a response on the X social media platform.

“What occurred final evening was not humorous,” she wrote.

“Far-left activists disrupted the occasion, which then needed to be stopped for safety causes. That is executed to intimidate individuals and suppress free speech. I will not stand for it.

“Would we see the identical response if the activists had been far-right?”

Truss storms off stage

The previous prime minister was taking questions from an viewers in Beccles, Suffolk, as a part of her e-book tour on Tuesday night when marketing campaign group Led By Donkeys carried out the stunt.

She was saying how she thought Donald Trump would in all probability win the US election as “the typical American will not be doing nicely” when a banner got here down from the ceiling behind her.

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The vegetable pictured was a reference to a lettuce the Each day Star live-streamed, to see if it wilted earlier than her premiership in 2022 ended.

After Ms Truss resigned simply 49 days into the job, the newspaper declared the lettuce victorious.

The banner’s economy-related tagline was a reference to her agenda of tax cuts and spending that plunged the UK economic system into disaster.

Ms Truss, who misplaced her South West Norfolk seat within the July election, initially didn’t discover the banner.

Nonetheless, when she was alerted to it and some individuals began laughing, she appeared unimpressed and stated: “That is not humorous.”

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She then gathered up her notes, took her microphone off and walked off the stage.

There was a small smattering of applause as she left.

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Led By Donkeys claimed credit score for the stunt, because the group posted a video of it to social media.

It stated: “Liz Truss is on a pro-Trump talking tour. So we dropped a strategically positioned distant managed lettuce banner.”

Earlier this 12 months, the group used a remote-controlled banner with an image of the Russian president to disrupt a speech by Reform UK chief Nigel Farage.

It learn: “I coronary heart Putin.”