Former PM Liz Truss’ ‘offensive’ interview about Rochdale labelled shameful by council leader

Councillor Neil Emmott, leader of Rochdale Borough Council

Liz Truss has been accused of bringing shame on the office of Prime Minister by Rochdale’s council leader after she was involved in a disparaging interview about the town.

The former Prime Minister participated in an interview with the former aide of Donald Trump Steve Bannon which Councillor Neil Emmott claims was “offensive and disparaging” about Rochdale. The interview took place at the Conservative Political Action Committee (CPAC) conference in Maryland, United States on 23 February.

CPAC is an annual political conference attended by conservative activists and elected officials from across the United States.

The council leader was so angered by Ms Truss not correcting Bannon when he claimed Tommy Robinson was a hero for his involvement in the town, he has penned a letter to Rishi Sunak.

In the letter issued on 12 March, Councillor Emmott wrote: “Ms Truss scandalously failed to correct Bannon when he referred to the far-right agitator, ‘Tommy Robinson’ as a ‘hero’ for bringing his noxious politics to Rochdale, in order to stoke division and harm community relations.

“As a former Prime Minister of our country, I believe that Ms Truss brought shame on the office. Not only failing to correct Bannon, but in reinforcing a negative and ill-informed perception of Rochdale in the process.”

A transcript of the interview Councillor Emmott included in his letter to the PM referred to the upcoming Rochdale by-election where Bannon asked if an ‘Islamic radical party could win’. The former Trump aide went on to ask about the grooming gang history and whether it was ‘Tommy Robinson, all these heroes who fought it’.

In response Ms Truss responded by saying ‘that is correct’. 

At the conference, thought to be for those on the right of the Republican Party in the US, Ms Truss also gave a speech where she addressed the problems Conservatives are facing from the left. In the speech she claimed, “Conservatives are now operating in what is a hostile environment and we essentially need a bigger bazooka in order to be able to deliver”.

George Lythgoe, Local Democracy Reporter