Liz Truss has insisted her government's tax-cutting measures are the "right plan" in the face of rising energy bills and to get the economy growing despite market turmoil sparked by the Chancellor's mini-budget.
In her first public comments since the mini-budget market chaos, Truss defended Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng's measures, insisting "urgent action" was needed, although she admitted the Government's decisions have been "controversial".
During a round of BBC local radio interviews this morning the PM was challenged on a number of issues from fracking to the cost-of-living crisis. It was the first time she had addressed concerns about the economy for four days following the fiscal statement in the House of Commons.
She said the mini-budget was the "right plan", in spite of mounting calls - including from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) - for a U-turn on some of the policies announced last Friday after the pound sunk to a record low of 1.03 against the US dollar on Monday.
On Wednesday, the Bank of England launched an emergency government bond-buying programme to prevent borrowing costs from spiralling out of control and stave off a "material risk to UK financial stability".
So, here's how each radio interview went:
BBC Radio Leeds
The PM said the country was facing an "economic slowdown" before her government took action during the mini budget last Friday.
She also promised that inflation, which is currently at around nine per cent, will fall by five per cent due to the measures Kwasi Kwarteng set out.
She told BBC Radio Leeds: "The package that we put forward on energy is going to reduce, or likely to reduce. inflation by up to 5 per cent.
"The action we've taken on energy bills will mean that Lee and other people living in West Yorkshire aren't going to be facing energy pills of £6000, which is what was forecast. The maximum will be £2500."
BBC Radio Norfolk
Truss told BBC Radio Norfolk the plan her government laid out on Friday was the "right plan" that would curb inflation down the line.
She said: "This is the right plan that we've set out. This is about making sure that people are going into the winter, not worried about ultra high fuel bills, which is what we were looking at.
"It was simply unconscionable that we could have allowed that to happen and we could allow people to be facing that fear of not being able to pay their fuel bill."
She was also asked if she is cleverer than the IMF, bishops, the RSPB and economists who have all slammed the statement last week. She replied: "As Prime Minister, I have to do what I believe is right for the country.”
BBC Radio Kent
The BBC Radio Kent presenter asked the Prime Minister questions submitted by listeners to the station. The presenter started off by asking: "Are you ashamed of what you’ve done?"
Truss replied: "I think we have to remember the situation this country was facing…". The presenter interrupted to say: "And you’ve made it worse!"
Truss added: "What we’ve done is we’ve taken action."
BBC Radio Lancashire
Presenter Graham Liver pressed the Prime Minister on the lifting of the fracking ban which could hit parts of the Lancashire. It led to an awkward exchange between Liver and Truss. Here's how it played out:
Liver said: "Let's talk about local consent right now. What does that look like? Scott Benton, the Conservative MP for Blackpool South, in a tweet says he believes that people in Blackpool South do not support fracking.
"This is the Tory MP for Fylde Mark Menzies in the House of Commons. 'If the Prime Minister is to remain a woman of our word, a woman that we can believe in which I believe she is. Can the Secretary of State outline how that local consent will be given and demonstrated in my constituency?' What does local consent look like Prime Minister?"
Truss replied: "The Energy Secretary will be laying out in more detail exactly what that looks like. But it does mean making sure there is local support for going ahead."
Liver: "It sounds like you don't know."
Truss: "I can assure Mark Menzies that I will make sure there is local consent if we are to go ahead in any particular area."
Liver: "Your local MPs don't want it, all Conservative, the county council have said they didn't want it, yet your government overturned it. The science hasn't changed. Why can't you tell us this morning there won't be a return to fracking in Lancashire?"
Truss: "Well, I don't I don't accept the premise of your question."
BBC Radio Nottingham
During her interview on BBC Nottingham Truss dodged questions on her tax cuts for the richest people in society with the presenter saying it's like a "reverse Robin Hood".
She said: "This is going to benefit far greater those who are very, very well off. If you make a million you're going to benefit £55,000-a-year from the tax cuts, on £20k like a teaching assistant or a nurse £157. A couple of people have said to me here in Nottingham, this is like a reverse Robin Hood."
Truss replied: "That simply isn't true."
The presenter jumped into ask which part isn't true that "the wealthiest aren't benefitting the most?"
The PM said: "The biggest part of the package that we announced is the support on energy bills of making sure that people across this country are not facing energy bills of more than £2,500, and that businesses can get through this winter."
BBC Radio Tees
BBC Radio Tees asked the Prime Minister about child poverty in the north east of England which has increased over the last 12 years that the Tories have been in power at Westminster.
Truss said the solution was to get people back into work. She told the station: "The number one thing we need to do to help deal with the issues that families face is to help more people get into work and create those high paid jobs.
"That's exactly what our mini budget is about - getting Britain moving again, it's about getting the infrastructure built, and it's about attracting investment into our country and in the North East."
BBC Radio Bristol
During her interview on BBC Radio Bristol the Prime Minister pinned the blame on Vladimir Putin for the mess in the economy following the mini budget on Friday.
She insisted the international markets are struggling due to the war in Ukraine. Truss was also asked if pensions were safe after the Bank of England had to step in, she said: "Well, the Bank of England does a very, very good job on delivering financial stability."
The presenter said that did not answer the question.
Truss replied: "Well, the Bank of England do that and they do a very good job of it."
BBC Radio Stoke
Presenter John Acres went straight for a question on the economy asking if she had crashed it following the mini budget last week. He asked: "Have you taken the keys to the country and crashed the economy?"
She replied: "What I have done is I've taken decisive action to deal with a very, very difficult economic situation that we are facing and the world is facing."
Acres asked if it was time to reverse the policies that got us into the mess, she replied: "No it isn’t. The vast majority or the majority of the package we announced on Friday was a support on energy for individuals and businesses."
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