Truss’s workmanlike conference speech

Liz Truss’s speech at Conservative party conference was workmanlike; she performed the task she’d set out to do. It was helped by a brief protest in the middle by Greenpeace, which allowed the Prime Minister to drive home her point about an ‘anti-growth coalition’ to a hall that was united in willing her on and booing the protestors.

The Prime Minister is not the most rousing public speaker. Indeed, the standing ovation at the end of the address felt a little uncertain, almost as though the audience was wondering if this was the start of a more energising peroration, not the payoff. She looked awkwardly at the autocue throughout, almost as though she didn’t trust the way it moved. But her aides always say that she isn’t particularly insecure about these idiosyncrasies and neither did she show much sign of being rattled by the dreadful week she’s had. That’s one of the things that her friends often highlight: Truss is one of those people who can just keep ploughing along, even when times are tough.