Liz Truss: I’m the right leader to unlock potential of this proud region

Ms Truss was visiting Jaguar Land Rover’s plant alongside the M54 on Tuesday ahead of the latest hustings leadership debate in Birmingham.

Speaking to the Shropshire Star, she said she was looking forward to working with West Midlands Mayor Andy Street.

Mr Street has already endorsed Ms Truss in the leadership contest, in which she is a clear front-runner against former chancellor Rishi Sunak.

Ms Truss said she was committed to developing the economy of the West Midlands, tapping into the expertise in manufacturing like JLR that helps to support thousands of jobs across the region including in Shropshire.

She said: “The West Midlands has driven our country onwards through its industry and enterprise. Today, it is home to some of our most innovative companies, who are creating goods and services desired across the globe, from cars and ceramics to gaming software and fintech products.

“JLR is a fantastic business which is leading the way by producing top-class cars in the heart of the West Midlands, supporting high-quality local jobs and fuelling growth.

“At this time of global economic crisis, we need to champion such businesses to get our economy – and the country – back on track. This will require boldness, not a business-as-usual approach. I have a fundamentally Conservative plan ready to go from day one as prime minister, built on tax cuts, supply-side reforms and pro-business regulation.

“I will support our job creators by reversing the rise in National Insurance and scrapping the rise in corporation tax so that businesses can afford to hire people. At the same time, it will mean employees can keep more of their hard-earned money. I will introduce low-tax and low-regulation Investment Zones where they are needed most in order to turbocharge growth and job creation.”

Ms Truss said she was looking to give the West Midlands more power to make its own decisions, through both its elected mayor and the West Midlands Combined Authority, of which Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin are none-constituent members. She said: “People in the West Midlands know what they, their family and local community need better than any bureaucrat in Whitehall. That is why I will work closely with our local leaders, including the excellent Mayor Andy Street and his team, to deliver on our levelling up agenda.

“I want to empower Andy further, giving him and the West Midlands Combined Authority the powers they need to drive growth across the West Midlands.

“Under my leadership, every part of Whitehall will play its part in supporting the West Midlands.

“My government will help ensure the West Midlands is properly connected. I will support Andy Street’s efforts to obtain the necessary funds, including via the new devolution deal. We will harness the huge opportunities offered by Brexit to benefit the region. This includes rolling back EU regulations that restrict our farmers and agriculture industry so they can focus on growing more of their world-class produce.

“I will help unleash investment into the car industry and tech hub. We will also put our full weight behind efforts to build a battery gigafactory at Coventry Airport, which would secure thousands of jobs for local people and help the region seize the opportunities of the future. I will be a pro-business, pro-enterprise Prime Minister. This is fundamental to my vision for levelling up the country in a Conservative way.

“When the West Midlands succeeds, the country succeeds. That is why I am determined to get the engine that is the Midlands economy firing on all cylinders again. I will make this happen in the same way I have taken on challenges time and time again – with clarity of purpose and a strong team working together to get the job done.”

The West Midlands is crucial to the Conservatives if they hope to stay in power come the next general election.

The party picked up seats in ‘red wall’ areas of he region.

But its defeat to the Liberal Democrats in the ‘safe’ seat of Shropshire North shows that it can be vulnerable and Labour and the Liberal Democrats have targeted many seats in our region.

Ms Truss said she was aware of why people voted Conservative and was determined to connect the party to the electorate again.

She said: “Many of those who voted Conservative in 2019, including in this region, did so because they were inspired by our promise of real change. That is what I will provide by uniting our party in delivering on our promises.”