It’s been a rough few months for the Conservatives so last night’s launch of Freer made a welcome change. Cabinet ministers and MPs gathered to celebrate the new initiative intended to promote a freer society and a freer economy. Or, Liz Truss’s leadership ambitions, depending which way you look at it. The Chief Secretary to the Treasury – and rising social media star – gave a lively speech at the Conrad hotel to kickstart the project. Truss entertained the crowd with anecdotes from her time as a young Conservative, plans to win over younger voters and criticism of a ‘po-faced’ opposition:
Truss’s early years:
‘They don’t want to be told what to do and what to think. That is incredibly important in this modern age. I’m someone who has never liked being told what to do, I started early – arguing against my socialist parents in my left-wing household. I joined the Conservative party in 1996 when it was distinctly unfashionable and I set up the free enterprise group in 2011 just when people were saying the battle had been won and we didn’t need to talk about this anymore. But we do need to talk about this.’
Truss’s pitch to younger voters:
‘The claims that are made about young people today that somehow they’re all molly-coddled, they all want protection, they all want to be in safe spaces – just simply isn’t true. In fact, the people growing up in our society have had more freedom than generations before. And they’re not going to be willing to give up that freedom anytime soon. And there is a massive opportunity for the Conservative party to win over that generation.’
Truss’s defence of wealth:
‘We need to celebrate our money-making. We need to be proud of the people who make money. As Conservatives we need to be talking about where wealth comes from, how you get ahead in life, how you take control of your own destiny.’
Truss’s criticism of Corbyn’s Labour:
‘I think we need to be Tories with attitude. We are facing one of the most ridiculous opposition parties. A bunch of humourless, po-faced, hat-wearing socialists who insist on lecturing everyone else but exercise restrictions and want to control not just members of their own party but society at large. I find John McDonnell’s proposal for state on steroids incredibly scary.’
While her words were a hit with the crowd, one attendee later mused: ‘I couldn’t help but wonder whether I was actually attending Truss’s leadership launch.’
Watch this space.
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