Liz Truss discusses stint as Prime Minister, aims for West Norfolk, Queen Elizabeth Hospital issues and backlash from councillors
Liz Truss has insisted she still has what it takes to represent West Norfolk as she sets out plans for a fifth term as MP.
The South West Norfolk MP spoke exclusively to the Lynn News on Friday during a visit to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
During that visit, she lamented the building’s “sagging” roof as she pushed for a rebuild.
She has also set her sights on upgrading the A47, improving train and health services, and offering residents more opportunities at RAF Marham.
This comes after Ms Truss was re-elected by the South West Norfolk Conservative Association to be its members’ candidate at the next set of local elections.
The former Prime Minister also discussed her 44-day spell in Downing Street last year, and says she has “no aspirations” of ever running for the position again.
She hopes that stepping back from frontline politics will give her more of a chance to focus on issues specific to her constituents.
Ms Truss said: “It’s great to be in Norfolk. Westminster is a bit of a bubble, and people can get very caught up in it.
“What’s actually important is what’s happening here in Norfolk, what services are available for local people, is it easy to set up a business, are there opportunities for kids, are our schools good?
“That’s what politics is really about, and it’s good to be able to spend more time in Norfolk rather than just in that Westminster bubble which turns into a bit of a whirlwind.”
Ms Truss recently faced criticism from West Norfolk Liberal Democrat councillor Rob Colwell, who deemed Ms Truss’ decision to run for MP again an “embarrassment”.
However, when asked by the Lynn News whether she still has what it takes for the job, she responded with a resounding: “I do.”
“I’ve been a Government minister for ten years now. I’ve got a lot of experience, I know what the pitfalls are,” she said.
“I think it’s important that we have MPs in the House of Commons who do understand what the challenges faced are, because there aren’t easy decisions in Government.
“What I want to do is contribute to the policy debate. How do we make sure that we are driving economic growth and people’s incomes are going up, and that there are opportunities and jobs?
“I’m still very passionate about improving infrastructure in Norfolk, it’s still not good enough.”
As she aims to lead what would be her fifth term in office, the South West Norfolk MP has highlighted a number of key areas she hopes to target in the coming years.
Ms Truss says she has taken part in “regular canvassing” in recent weeks, which has included door-knocking in towns such as Swaffham.
She believes that “the biggest issue on the doorstep is the issue of the National Health Service”.
And health services - along with roads and job opportunities - are among the key areas Liz Truss hopes to bolster if she seals a fifth term as South West Norfolk MP.
The former Prime Minister lamented the current condition of the QEH following a visit to discuss its crumbling facilities with health bosses.
She has now urged Chancellor Jeremy Hunt to confirm the QEH’s inclusion in the Government’s new hospital programme during his Spring Budget announcement on March 15.
Ms Truss said: “It desperately needs a replacement. You can see the ceilings are sagging, they’re being held up by planks.
“There are rods holding up bits of wall all around the hospital. This is a major issue for constituents.
“I’ve written to the Chancellor, he’s just got back to me, so I’m going to see him next week. What I want to see is this happen in the Budget, if not before.”
Ms Truss also discussed her frustrations over a lack of dental surgeries accepting new patients in Norfolk, deeming current scenarios a “huge problem”.
“People, I’m afraid, are having to take things into their own hands, which is appalling in this day and age,” she added.
The South West Norfolk MP, who has held that title since 2010, outlined further ambitions to help her constituents in the coming years.
“As a local MP, I’m determined that we’re going to sort those issues out,” she said.
“There’s lots to be done. The A47 needs an upgrade, I’m still passionate about improving our train services.
“I want to see more local people have opportunities at RAF Marham - we’ve now got one of the highest-tech pilot and engineer training centres in the world.
“I want people in Norfolk to get a slice of that action, so those are the things I’ll be focused on.”
The Lynn News also quizzed Ms Truss on her short stint in Downing Street, which ended after just 44 days in office last year - making her the shortest-serving Prime Minister in UK history.
She has faced considerable criticism since, with intense focus on a mini-budget which resulted in mortgage rate spikes and drops in pension funds.
While admitting it was a “difficult time”, Ms Truss insists she set out to help members of society most in need.
“In retrospect, everyone can say with hindsight ‘there are things I would have done differently’,” she added.
“I didn’t know that the market was so fragile, there was this issue with the pension fund, the LDI (Liability Driven Investment) issue.
“I probably would have done things differently if I’d known about that, but at the same time we did deal with the energy issue of putting in place the energy price guarantee so people weren’t facing massive bills.
“We did reverse the National Insurance increase so people are now paying lower taxes. Yes there are things I could have done better about communicating, there are things that we could have done better in Downing Street.”
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