Giant billboard poster featuring Sunak in Liz Truss' pocket axed after tip-off

30 September 2023 , 20:41

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Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (Image: PA)

Labour were furious tonight after being forced to pull ads attacking Rishi Sunak from a giant billboard in Manchester on the eve of Conservative Party Conference.

The punchy ad, showing a tiny Mr Sunak in the pocket of his shamed predecessor Liz Truss were set to overlook the conference venue from a nearby skyscraper this week. But it’s been blocked after a small-print clause in the conference centre’s guidelines was invoked. It comes as Mr Sunak’s authority was dented by dozens of his MPs threatening to defy him on tax policy, as the party teetered on the edge of civil war.

Pat McFadden MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State in the Cabinet Office and National Campaign Coordinator, said: “The Tories are desperate for people to forget their record of failure. The reality is the British people are still paying the price for the Conservatives crashing the economy, with higher taxes, higher mortgages and higher food and energy bills. It’s clear who is really directing government policy. One word from Liz Truss, and Rishi Sunak bows down to her agenda of U-turns and unfunded tax cuts.”

Liz Truss outside Number 10 (Getty Images)

A second ad placed by Sasha Lord, Manchester’s night time ambassador was also scrapped. Parklife festival-founder Mr Lord’s advert showed Mr Sunak with glowing red eyes, criticising him for failing to help self-employed people in the hospitality industry during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Manchester Central, the conference venue, said they invoked a non-compete clause in their agreement with the nearby Axis tower, where the giant digital billboard sits after being made aware that the ads had been placed. They insisted the decision wasn’t political, but could not say who had tipped them off that the ads were planned. Labour’s advert was to depict a giant Liz Truss with a tiny Rishi Sunak in her pocket - with a slogan which read: “13 years of the Tories, you’re still paying the price.”

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Mr Sunak has been accused of being beholden to Ms Truss and the right-wing of his party - as 32 rebel MPs vowed to block any plans to raise taxes. Ms Truss, whose premiership started to unravel this time last year at the Tory conference, was joined by former cabinet ministers Priti Patel, Iain Duncan Smith, Brandon Lewis and Sir Jacob Rees Mogg in pledging not to vote for any increase in taxes.

The list of senior party figures pledging to rebel against him will be a major blow to the Prime Minister’s authority as he struggles to prevent an all-out civil war at the annual get-together in Manchester.

Writing in this newspaper, Jonathan Ashworth, Labour’s Shadow Paymaster General said: “Weak Rishi is still in the pocket of Truss and her Tory Party. This week in Manchester we’ll see more of the same.

“More unfunded tax cuts for those who don’t need them, more gimmicks, more desperate U-turns, more undeliverable promises, more misery for Britain. The Prime Minister has always refused to listen but now he is trying to stop us being heard,” Mr Lord told this newspaper. The government wants to silence its critics and shut down debate because it is embarrassed about the misery its policies have caused. I won’t stop speaking on behalf of the millions of people whose livelihoods were destroyed by his disregard for our industry and I am calling for proper support for the pubs, clubs, hotels and restaurants that are the economic lifeblood of this country.”

A spokesperson for the conference venue said: “Manchester Central has had a legally binding agreement in place with Axis Manchester LLP since 2017 which prohibits the display of any advertising that is malicious, competes with or has a material adverse effect on an organiser or subject matter of events held at Manchester Central Convention Centre, during, or in the build up to, an event. This clause applies to all events taking place at Manchester Central Convention Centre, irrespective of the organiser. The decision to prohibit the use of, or remove, any scheduled content has been made by Axis Manchester LLP, in compliance with these legally binding, contractual agreements.”

Mikey Smith