M People furious after Liz Truss walks out to their tune

Jack Peat

‘I don’t want my song being a soundtrack to lies’

Liz Truss has capped off a turbulent Conservative Party Conference by promising to “stay the course” and pursue growth at all costs.

The Prime Minister has spent the last few weeks battling market turmoil and division from within her own party.

Yesterday, home secretary Suella Braverman doubled down on her calls for the UK to leave the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) – even though that is not government policy.

Penny Mordaunt, the Leader of the House of Commons, also seemed to be at odds with Truss over benefits payments, which she argued should go up in line with inflation, a stance supported by former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith.

Unperturbed, Truss told Tory delegates that she is focused on three priorities: “Growth, growth, growth.”

Her speech got off to a rocky start after she was heckled by environmental campaigners holding a flag which read “who voted for this?”

They were later identified by Truss as “enemies of enterprise” as part of an “anti-growth coalition” including opposition parties, trade unions and “Brexit-deniers”.

Here’s the moment Liz Truss was heckled during her speech at Tory conference. pic.twitter.com/ybhjWSatNO

— PoliticsJOE (@PoliticsJOE_UK) October 5, 2022

Truss used ‘Moving On Up’ by the M People as the song she walked out to, possibly in reference to rampant levels of inflation.

But the move quickly backfired.

Band founder Mike Pickering hit out at the use of their song for the occasion, saying they tried to stop it.

“So sad it got used by this shower of a government.

“I don’t want my song being a soundtrack to lies”.

So apparently we can't stop Truss walking out to our song, very weird! So sad it got used by this shower of a government. BTW Truss labour used it with permission in 90's. I don't want my song being a soundtrack to lies.

— Michael Pickering (@themike_p) October 5, 2022

Earlier in the day “incredibly right-wing” comedian Joe Lycett unveiled a portrait of Liz Truss, whom he adores.

On Instagram, he wrote: “While diners enjoyed the fruits of my small garden and the genius of the kitchen I sat in the corner of the restaurant painting.

“One of the paintings was of the Prime Minister, who across the city was refusing to tell journalists if she would support raising benefits in line with inflation, a policy which will undoubtedly affect and likely increase the homeless population of this country. IN LIZ WE TRUSS, BABY!!!”