No Peace For Greens Concern After Truss Labels Environment Groups 'Anti-Growth Coalition'

In the middle of Liz Truss's speech, at the end of a chaotic and divisive conference, a protest by Greenpeace activists was perhaps inevitable, given the frustration and concern that has been brewing among environmentalists over the direction of government policy.

- Helena Horton

The prime minister's words will have only heightened their anxiety.

To cheers from the conference floor, she let fly against the "antigrowth coalition" that was "holding Britain back", naming Extinction Rebellion and Greenpeace.

But they were just two of a whole spectrum of green organisations targeted over the past few days including the RSPB, the National Trust, a large block of the country's farmers, and anyone who has ever opposed fracking - who all seem, astonishingly, to have become Tory enemies.

Green groups have been warning that government plans to slash environmental legislation in investment zones and water down the nature farming payments schemes could cause biodiversity collapse. But instead of engaging with them, Tory MPs have called them liars and alarmists.