Tories are ‘snowflakes’ and Truss on ‘bizarre quest to cancel’ PM – Phillipson
Sir Keir Starmer also referred to Liz Truss’ cease and desist letter against him and said it was ‘crashing the economy that damaged her reputation’.
The Tories are a “bunch of snowflakes” and former prime minister Liz Truss is on a “bizarre quest to cancel” Sir Keir Starmer, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has said.
The Prime Minister also referred to his correspondence with Ms Truss, saying he had received “a letter this week from a Tory voter in a Labour seat” who was “complaining that saying she had crashed the economy was damaging her reputation”.
The former prime minister’s legal team sent Sir Keir a cease and desist letter, saying his claim that his predecessor-but-one “crashed the economy” or was “crashing the economy” was defamatory and “false and misleading”.
It also suggests the assertion had been “likely to materially impact public opinion” at the last general election when she lost her Norfolk seat.
During a statement on the Higher Education Regulatory Approach in the Commons on Wednesday, Ms Phillipson said the Government would be implementing some elements of the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act.
The Act – which could have seen universities and student unions in England fined for failing to secure freedom of speech – was put on hold by Labour last summer.
Shadow education secretary Laura Trott accused the Government of being “more interested in virtue signalling than what is right for the country” and said they “can’t even do a much needed U-turn properly”.
Ms Phillipson replied: “If members opposite want to know what a U-turn on free speech looks like, I suggest they turn their attention to Liz Truss, who for so long extolled the virtues of free speech and is now on some kind of bizarre quest to cancel the Prime Minister for saying that she and the party opposite crashed the economy.
“Freedom of speech cuts both ways. What a bunch of snowflakes.”
During Prime Minister’s Questions, Sir Keir said: “I got a letter this week from a Tory voter in a Labour seat, I hope they don’t mind me saying who it was, it was Liz Truss.”
He added: “She was complaining that saying she had crashed the economy was damaging her reputation. It was actually crashing the economy that damaged her reputation.
“What have we heard? All (the Tories) have got is complaining. They have no defence for their sorry record — they don’t even acknowledge it. They have no ideas, no policies.
“They are like a blank piece of paper, blowing hopelessly in the wind. No wonder the country put them in the bin.”
