Liz Truss appeared on BBC Radio Tees on Thursday (September 29) morning as part of her first broadcast interview round since the ‘mini budget’ on Friday.

Truss took questions from Teessiders after a difficult week of economic turmoil following the budget announcement.

The new Tory Prime Minister used the appearance to say her tax-cutting plans are the “right plan” to get the economy moving and growing.

But it was not without controversy as her interviews elsewhere were branded a "car crash" by listeners not won over by her appearances.

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Here’s what the Prime Minister had to say during her appearance on BBC Radio Tees:

Cost of living

Asked about Diane from Guisborough, who says she can no longer afford to live in her home of 25 years and is having to sell up, Prime Minister Truss said: "Everybody has been offered help with their fuel bills and that was our priority because people were facing appaling fuel bills and that was the biggest part of the economic package that we put forward on Friday."

Tax cuts for the wealthy

On cutting the top rate of income tax Truss and whether this was fair considering the situation of people like Diane, she said: “Well, we are cutting taxes across the board because we were facing the highest tax burden on Britain for 70 years and that was causing a lack of economic growth, and without growth we don’t get the investment, we don’t get the jobs we need, which helps local communities right around the country.

“We’re also reversing the increase in national insurance.

“We’re also reducing the basic rate. So we’re reducing taxes across the board, because the tax burden was too high.”

North East child poverty

Ms Truss was also asked about child poverty in the region, which has increased during the previous 12 years of Conservative rule.

She said: “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, and that's exactly what our mini budget is about - getting Britain moving again.

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“It's about getting the infrastructure built, and it's about attracting investment into our country and in the North East."

Marine deaths

The PM was also asked briefly about the shocking numbers of sealife deaths off the North East coast and was forced to admit she would “need to look into the issue”.

Asked if she would commit to another investigation to sort the problem she said: “I would need to look into that issue to be honest” when asked whether she would commit to an investigation.”

Read more: Liz Truss admits she doesn't know about North East sea life deaths in awkward BBC interview

Reacting to the interview Middlesbrough Labour MP Andy McDonald told The Northern Echo Truss had showed how "badly out of touch" she is.   

Andy McDonald, MP for Middlesbrough, said: “Liz Truss, speaking on local BBC radio today, showed just how badly out of touch with reality she and her Government are and how utterly out of touch with the people whose lives are being wrecked through her actions.

"It is not global issues that have wrecked our economy. 

"Let’s be very clear, this is a Downing Street made crisis. 

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"They have sent the pound plummeting and caused genuine fear among families in Middlesbrough and across the country who are worried sick about their bills, rent and mortgage and pensions.

"Truss was completely unaware of the horrendous marine fatalities along our coast. To me, this speaks volumes about the lack of concern about this issue from our local Tory MPs and Mayor that they have not felt it important enough to raise with their Prime Minister and inform her of what is happening here in Tees Valley.”

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