Greenpeace protesters have been ejected from the Tory Party conference after disrupting Prime Minister Liz Truss’s first speech as party leader.
The eco-activists held a flag which read “who voted for this?”, which was quickly ripped from their hands by one angry Tory member.
Not to be foiled the two female activists unfurled a back up sign with the same message as the audience chanted “Out” repeatedly.
A woman in a blue suit was escorted out of the Birmingham ICC as MsTruss said: “Let’s get them removed”.
Tory Party members responded with a supportive standing ovation amid shouts of “go Liz”.
The underfire Prime Minister joked: “Later on in my speech I’m going to talk about the anti-growth coalition. I think they arrived in the hall a bit too early”.
Greenpeace claimed the protest was made to denounce Liz Truss’s “shredding” of her party’s 2019 manifesto promises.
The group tweeted: “The PM is U-turning on fracking, strong climate action, and world-leading environmental protections.”
The protestors Ami McCarthy and Rebecca Newsom, both work in public affairs for Greenpeace.
They said they were “holding the Government to account” for its promises on net zero.
Former Green Party leader Caroline Lucas supported the action, tweeting: “Great to see @greenpeace in Tory party conference asking who voted for this?
“They’re right - nobody voted for more fracking, tearing up nature protections or the £ in free fall. We need a general election now.”
The disruption conjured up memories of when Theresa May’s conference speech was marred by a heckler who evaded security to hand her a P45 form.
Well-known prankster Lee Nelson, whose real name is Simon Brodkin, made it to the front of the room and handed the then Prime Minister, who had just recovered from a coughing fit, the form - saying Boris Johnson had asked him to give it to her.
The protest came after Ms Truss arrived on stage to the song Moving On Up by M People. The Prime Minister opened by saying: “My friends, it’s great to be here with you in Birmingham.
“It’s fantastic to see the cranes across the skyline building new buildings, the busy trams coursing down the streets, and the bull standing proudly at the heart of Birmingham.
“My friends, this is what a city with a Tory mayor looks like – it’s positive, it’s enterprising and it’s successful.”
She used the speech to explain the U-turn on abolishing the 45p tax rate on top earners because it “became a distraction”.
She told the Tory Party conference: “The fact is the abolition of the 45p tax rate became a distraction from the major parts of our growth plan.
“That is why we’re no longer proceeding with it.
“I get it and I have listened.”
