The frontrunner in the Tory leadership contest has confirmed devolution could be on the cards for Cheshire and Warrington if she becomes prime minister.
Speaking at an event for Conservative party members at Peover Hall near Knutsford, Liz Truss said she wanted to move decision making away from Westminster as it means things happen too slowly.
Tatton Group managing director Henry Brooks sought a commitment on the issue from Ms Truss, as he introduced a question and answer session with the prospective Tory leader.
He said: “The north of England is a wonderful place, and the North West in particular.
“Cheshire and Warrington have long been promised a devolution deal and have a huge mount to give back to this country if we’re allowed to make decisions locally.”
He followed this up asking: “Will you commit to looking at devolution for Cheshire and Warrington?”
Ms Truss replied: “I certainly will. There are far too many things that are still being decided by Whitehall diktat.
“That is the wrong decision because they don’t know what’s best, they’re too far away, and it just makes things incredibly slow.”
Mr Brooks has long been an advocate of devolution for the area, and believes local people are best placed to drive investment decisions.
Speaking in 2018, he commented: “Cheshire and Warrington is the gateway to the Northern Powerhouse; it is the glue that joins the great city regions of Manchester and Liverpool.
“As a successful northern economy, this is an opportunity to create even greater opportunities for current and future generations.
“Local people know best regarding what we need as a community and devolution will help to ensure that investment, such as in rural broadband, rail and roads, happens in the right place.”
There is less than a month to go now until we find out whether Rishi Sunak or Liz Truss will replace Boris Johnson as prime minister.
The result of the Tory leadership contest will be announced on Monday 5th September 2022.