Liz Truss storms off stage after activists display lettuce banner prank that says 'I crashed the economy'

The former prime minister was addressing an audience in Beccles, Suffolk, during her book tour on Tuesday evening when the campaign group Led By Donkeys carried out the prank. As she discussed her belief that Donald Trump would likely win the upcoming US, election, citing that "the average American is not doing well," a banner was lowered from the ceiling behind her.

Led By Donkeys wrote on X: “We just dropped in on Liz Truss’s pro-Trump speaking tour with a remote-controlled lettuce banner. She didn’t find it funny.”

The stunt references a viral moment from Ms Truss's short tenure as Prime Minister in 2022 when a UK tabloid live-streamed a lettuce to see if it would outlast her leadership. Her economic policies, particularly her proposed tax cuts, led to market turmoil and ultimately forced her resignation after just 44 days in office, making her the shortest-serving Prime Minister in UK history.

Ms Truss, who had recently lost her South West Suffolk seat in the July election, initially did not notice the banner. However, when she was alerted to it and a few people in the audience began laughing, she appeared visibly unimpressed and said: "That's not funny." She then gathered her notes, removed her microphone, and walked off the stage.

There was a small, scattered applause from the audience as she left the stage.

Her reaction has sparked internet jokes, with many noting the irony that she was wearing a green dress, which led some to jokingly compare her to the lettuce that outlasted her tenure as Prime Minister, with lettuce puns thrown in.

One said: “Lettuce hope she caesar funny side to this, romaines there and doesn't leaf the stage too soon again.” Another said: “Well that response was icy, positively iceberg.” One commented: “She's even dressed like lettuce.”

Liz Truss: ‘Not funny’

Responding to the stunt, Ms Truss insisted that it was “not funny”. In a statement posted on X, she said: “What happened last night was not funny. Far-left activists disrupted the event, which then had to be stopped for security reasons. “This is done to intimidate people and suppress free speech. I won't stand for it. Would we see the same reaction if the activists were far-right?”