'Time for Norfolk MP in 10 Downing Street' says Truss at Norwich hustings

'Wokeness', crime, the NHS and the cost of living crisis were among topics the Tory leadership hopefuls were quizzed about at the penultimate hustings before votes are counted.

Around 500 people attended the hustings, hosted by columnist and presenter Julia Hartley-Brewer at the Holiday Inn near Norwich Airport on Thursday night.

Liz Truss with Julia Hartley-Brewer during the hustings event in Norwich (Image: PA Wire/PA Images)

South West Norfolk MP Ms Truss said it was great to be in her "adopted county of Norfolk" and was cheered as she said: "Isn't it time we had a Norfolk MP back in 10 Downing Street?"

But her policy to cut taxes was criticised in an early salvo by her rival Mr Sunak.

Rishi Sunak at the leadership hustings in Norwich (Image: PA Wire/PA Images)

The former chancellor said he would not “pursue policies that risk making inflation far worse and last far longer, especially if those policies amount to borrowing £50bn and putting that on the country’s credit card”.

Mr Sunak said he would be tough on public spending and grow the economy.

Ms Truss said she would challenge the "Treasury orthodoxy" and insisted: "I don’t agree with this analysis that tax cuts deliver inflation, I think it’s wrong.

“The reason that we have inflation is we have a supply shock caused by Covid, caused by the global energy crisis."

The NHS came under the spotlight, with Mr Sunak saying the service is "extraordinary" when it works well, but that it needed reform, with some 15 million missed appointments a year.

Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss supporters at a hustings event at the Holiday Inn, in Norwich (Image: PA Wire/PA Images)

Ms Truss said the issue with the NHS was not about money, but about the correct use of resources. She said there were too many layers of management, too many central diktats and too much waste.

Asked about crime, Ms Truss said she wanted to see police tackling violent crime, sexual assaults and rapes, rather than "policing Twitter".

Rishi Sunak (Image: PA Wire/PA Images)

Mr Sunak said: "As I’ve been campaigning around the country is it’s clear there are elements in our police forces that are held back from doing the things that I think they want to do that would actually keep us safe because of an ideology.

“We’ve talked about this ‘wokeish’ ideology and, you know, stop and search is a good example of a technique that works that police forces are not always using, for reasons that are not right.

“What I’ll tell everyone here is that I will never let political correctness stand in the way of keeping you and your families safe.”

The pair were asked if what they had announced so far went far enough to tackle the cost of living crisis.

Mr Sunak said he would cut VAT on energy bills, while Ms Truss said she wanted to tackle the root of the problem - the country not having a sustainable energy supply.

South West Norfolk MP Elizabeth Truss (Image: PA Wire/PA Images)

She said she supported fracking, greater exploitation of the North Sea fields and that the country was moving too slowly over nuclear power.

When asked who would be the better prime minister if they did not win - their competitor or Boris Johnson, Mr Sunak said Ms Truss and acknowledged members of the party were angry with him after his resignation helped trigger Mr Johnson's downfall.

He said the party had to move forward. But Ms Truss, when asked the same question, said Boris Johnson would be a better prime minister than Mr Sunak.

Ms Truss said, in retrospect, measures taken during the Covid-19 lockdown were "too draconian" and said she would not have closed schools.

And the foreign secretary was also asked whether French president Emmanuel Macron was "friend or foe", to which she replied: "The jury's out". She added: "But if I become prime minister I would judge him on deeds not words.”

Protestors outside the Conservative leadership hustings (Image: Archant)

Protestors gathered outside the venue before and after the hustings, with police officers at the scene.

After the votes of Conservative members are counted, Mr Johnson's successor will be confirmed on September 5.

Ahead of the hustings, Ms Truss and Mr Sunak had each unveiled their pledges to boost the region.

Ms Truss said a transport minister in her government would "look closely" at fully dualling the A47, the £251m Norwich Western Link and Ely North rail junction.

Mr Sunak said he would push for enhanced rail capacity and proposed improvements to local road infrastructure. He also said he would also order National Grid to consult again on the controversial East Anglia GREEN proposals for a 180km power line across part of Norfolk.

Earlier on Thursday, Ms Truss toured the £11m Condimentum mustard mill at the Food Enterprise Park at Easton.

Liz Truss with chief executive Dave Martin during a visit to Condimentum Ltd at the Food Enterprise Park at Easton (Image: PA Wire/PA Images)