Steerpike Steerpike

Truss turns on the media

Photo by Ian Forsyth/Getty Images

To Darlington, for another of the endless Tory leadership hustings. Last night’s clash covered much of the same old ground but was notable for several swipes which Liz Truss took at the media’s coverage of the race. Asked who was to blame for Boris Johnson’s downfall, several members of the audience interrupted to shout ‘the media!’ prompting Truss to smirk and reply ‘Who am I to disagree with this excellent audience?’

Truss, who once claimed that ‘I would die in a ditch’ for a ‘free press’, also took issue with the way in which host Tom Newton Dunn framed his questions. The latter asked the Foreign Secretary about her plans to help people with rising energy bills using tax cuts, when he mentioned ‘your handouts’ as he sought to pose a question. She interrupted, replying ‘they are not giveaways, Tom. This is people’s money, but this is the problem with the way that every question is framed.’ She added: ‘You’re framing it in a left-wing way, Tom. I’m afraid the whole media does this all the time… it drives me mad.’

The former political editor of the Sun is a leftie now? Truss, whose campaign has repeatedly complained of being ‘misrepresented’, then completed her hat-trick of jibes at the press when she spoke about her spending commitments. Truss told the crowd ‘I believe in Britain, unlike some of the media who choose to talk our country down.’ Newton Dunn replied ‘For the record, that’s the third time you’ve attacked the media, a lot of which supports your campaign.’ At the end of the night, as audience members applauded, a microphone picked up Truss telling Newton Dunn: ‘I am sorry I was mean about the media, Tom.’ The latter replied: ‘It’s cheap and you know it.’

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