Mayor calls on Liz Truss to honour investment promises

West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin has called on new Conservative leader Liz Truss to deliver long-promised investment in the county.

“Here in West Yorkshire, one in three households will have no disposable income left after paying their energy bills as things currently stand, and I’m calling on Liz Truss to urgently freeze the energy price cap to provide them a lifeline,” the mayor said.

“Her new Government must also deliver on her pledge to deliver Northern Powerhouse Rail in full, with that vital new station in Bradford, as well as come good on long-promised investment to help make “levelling up” a reality and not just a soundbite.”

Liz Truss was confirmed as Conservative leader on Monday lunchtime, and is due to meet the Queen on Tuesday to formalise her appointment as Prime Minister. Her premiership begins as an expected recession looms. The British Chambers of Commerce predicts inflation will hit 14% by Christmas, with a weak recovery in 2023.

James Mason, chief executive of West & North Yorkshire Chamber, echoed Brabin’s calls for investment, especially the fulfilment of Northern Powerhouse Rial promises.

“Under the leadership of the previous Prime Minister, Levelling Up was more of a slogan than actual action and here in our part of the country we want to see a clear and obvious commitment to this beyond just words,” he said.

“With the country currently experiencing the greatest level of economic challenge seen in a decade, businesses large and small need confidence that the new administration has the leadership and vision required to ensure that they will not be abandoned in this most desperate of hours.

“A perfect start point for this would be to ensure that all companies are provided with the assistance required to get through the coming months without insurmountable burdens in terms of overheads and tax.

“Liz Truss can make these assurances swiftly and compellingly to provide these assurances.

“She can also put Yorkshire and the North at the heart of the economy’s future by being the Prime Minister that finally delivers on the pledges made by her predecessors by beginning work on Northern Powerhouse Rail and committing to rolling out HS2 in full.

“These moves can truly deliver on Levelling Up and take a crucial step towards making Britain a country where the same opportunities are available to everyone.”