UK premier vows to get Britain 'through the tempest' in conference speech

By Karim El-Bar

LONDON (AA) - British Prime Minister Liz Truss addressed the Conservative Party conference for the first time as its leader on Wednesday, pledging to get Britain "through the tempest."

"These are stormy days," she told the conference hall in Birmingham.

Her speech was briefly interrupted by Greenpeace protestors heckling the prime minister, with a banner reading: "Who voted for this?"

After asking for their removal, Truss continued with her speech that was light on policy but heavy on her vision for the country, namely higher economic growth.

"We're dealing with the global economic crisis caused by COVID and by Putin's appalling war in Ukraine," Truss said.

"In these tough times, we need to step up. I'm determined to get Britain moving, to get us through the tempest and put us on a stronger footing as a nation."

"For too long, our economy hasn't grown as strongly as it should have done," she added.

A poll released before her speech suggested Truss was already more unpopular than her predecessor, Boris Johnson, or Jeremy Corbyn, former leader of the Labour Party -- both of whom were deeply unpopular with the public.