CONSERVATIVE leadership candidate Liz Truss has suggested she would appoint Kemi Badenoch to the Cabinet and will deliver tangible change for people if she becomes the new Prime Minister.
In comments in response to audience questions during a live GB News People’s Forum in Leigh in Manchester, she also told how she’d
Reverse the proposed national insurance rise and hold an emergency budget to deal wiuth the cost of living crisis
Reform the tax system to favour families and carers
Transform infrastructure in the north of England
Tackle the cost of energy by standing up to Vladimir Putin
Back onshore fracking and extract more gas from the North Sea
Deport illegal immigrants to new locations in addition to Rwanda
Legislate to ensure free speech is protected online
Ban strikes in essential services such as transport
Introduce league tables for police forces
And put more money into social care to free up NHS beds
Asked about working with former leadership hopeful Kemi Badenoch, she said: “I worked with her as Women and Equalities Minister, we’ve taken on a lot of the agenda of people who were trying to deny that women were women, and so on.
“I think she’s absolutely brilliant and I would definitely want her as part of my team if I am successful.”
On levelling up, she said: “…I know that lots of parts of the north of England were let down by successive governments and I know that we need to deliver for you.
“And that means more infrastructure into this town (Leigh), getting good railway services, which aren’t here at the moment, improving on things like broadband, delivering mobile phone signals, all of those things, but it also means attracting enterprise and business.
“If I could just make the point that people will only trust us when we deliver is when they see the new jobs and new opportunities, the spades in the ground when they see the town being transformed.
“That’s when people will trust us so I’m somebody who is absolutely focused on just getting things done, cracking through the difficulties, pushing ahead, OK? And I will prove it, I will prove it to you.”
Asked about energy prices, she said: “What we also have to do is address the root cause of why energy costs are so high. That’s why it’s important we stand up to Vladimir Putin and then this war in Ukraine and that’s why it’s also important that we work with the energy companies to bring the prices down.
“That is I’m going to deal with supply, I’m going to help bring the prices down. So we reduce the costs, because if the only answer to everything is to whack up taxes and give out more benefits, then the country is going to run into trouble. The fact is, we are predicted to have a recession and it’s important that we grow the economy.”
She added: “I support extracting more gas from the North Sea. I support moving ahead faster with nuclear power so we are energy independent, because one of the problems we’re facing is that Vladimir Putin is using the fact that Europe is dependent on Russian gas to try and leverage that against Europe and we can’t allow that to happen.”
On immigration she said: “I would make sure we legislate for Britain that we are in control of our own policy, and we can’t be overruled by the ECHR.
“I would also work with other countries to get new deals to find new locations, because what is really important is that countries like Rwanda, want citizens in their country to help build their economy.
“They don’t want a massive brain drain of people, so we need to work with them to make that happen, and ensure there is somewhere for the illegal immigrants to go.”
Asked about online safety, Ms Truss said: “I have two daughters who are aged 13 and 16 and I worry about some of the material that they can access online. I also worry about the impact of social media on them before they are yet fully adult and fully able to take responsibility.
“I very strongly agree with you though, where it’s about adults being able to speak freely. They absolutely should be and it should be the same online as offline – that’s a really important principle and I’ll make sure that the online safety bill does reflect that.”
On trade unions, Ms Truss said: “As soon as possible, I will legislate to make sure those essential services are provided, and that we can’t be disrupted by militant trade unions. I’m also very concerned by these extreme activists like Extinction Rebellion, doing things like gluing themselves to trains, disrupting people who are trying to get to work.”
Asked about police reform she said: “What I would put in place is police league tables, so people could compare how well their police force was doing with others around the country.”
On Asian grooming gangs, she said: “On these child grooming gangs, it is absolutely repulsive. What has gone on in places like Rotherham in places like Telford, and of course, those criminals need to be brought to justice.
“But more than that, I want the people held to account, the council officers, the councilors, and the police who didn’t do anything about it. And they even not just turned a blind eye, but actually condoned this behaviour so they need to be held to account…I will make sure that those people are gone after by the relevant authorities.
She added: “This is something that is an endemic problem, and needs to be addressed on a national level.
On housing, she said: “I want more young people to be able to afford to get on the housing ladder. So what I’m proposing is that people’s rental history contributes towards them being able to get a mortgage, which should enable more people who rent, to be able to get the mortgage and be able to get on the housing ladder.”
Ms Truss said she would review the tax system: “One thing that I have said is I will do is review our overall tax system to make it fairer for families, to make it fairer for people who take time out of work to look after children or look after elderly relatives.”
On funding the health service, she said: “I’m committed to the extra funding, but I wouldn’t get that out of a national insurance rise, I would get that out general taxation…
“I also think that funding needs to go into social care so we’re freeing up beds in the National Health Service to deal with the patients who need to be dealt with, but there’s no doubt in my mind that we face a massive challenge as a country because a huge backlog built up after Covid.
“It’s a one off situation because of the backlog caused by Covid, so I’m also interested in what we can do to encourage some of those people who might have left the profession…”
Asked about the low level of financial support for carers, she said: “What I’ve already said and I mentioned this earlier, is I want to look at the tax system to make sure it better supports families who do take time out to care for elderly relatives, or care for children.
“I’d have to look at how that worked with the benefit system as well and what you’re talking about on the carers allowance, but there’s no doubt in my mind that not only you’re doing a great thing for society, you’re also saving the government money so we need to we need to look at that in the round and make sure that we are not penalising people who do you do.”
