Liz Truss has told the right-wing podcast Lotus Eaters that a bigger bazooka is needed to combat the “evil” Left that is out to “destroy our society”.
The former prime minister found herself in hot water after it was revealed that she would be appearing on a platform which was founded by a YouTuber who made comments about raping a Labour MP.
Labour’s Jess Phillips has written to the prime minister saying that Carl Benjamin, founder of the Lotus Eaters, “has despicable views about violence against women”.
Benjamin wrote on Twitter in 2016 that he “wouldn’t even rape” Phillips, the Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley.
In 2019, when he was standing to be a UKIP MEP, he refused to apologise and later went on to say: “I’ve been in a lot of trouble for my hardline stance of not even raping her. I suppose with enough pressure I might cave. But let’s be honest, nobody’s got that much beer.”
A source close to Truss said she has “no relationship with Carl Benjamin”.
However, Phillips said Rishi Sunak has a responsibility to “uphold high standards among your MPs and candidates” and should bar Truss from standing in the election.
She called the Lotus Eaters a “far-right” and “hateful” platform and claimed that “as well as these misogynistic views” Benjamin had promoted conspiracy theories about immigration.
She added: “It is clear that anyone willing to appear on this hateful platform is not suitable to be a candidate for any political party.
“If you have any decency, you will deselect Liz Truss as Conservative candidate for South West Norfolk. Anything less than this will show how weak you are and how far the Conservative Party has sunk.”
Here’s what Truss had to say in the podcast: