PM hails Tory record in fight for rural votes
I think we are delivering, says Johnson
PROMISES ON better public transport and gigabit broadband show that the Conservatives are “delivering massively” for rural communities, Boris Johnson has suggested.
Thousands of local council seats are up for election today, after weeks of falling poll numbers for the Tories amid concerns over the cost of living and lockdown rule-breaking.
Speaking on a visit to Leeds last week, Mr Johnson told The Yorkshire Post that his policies will help make countryside places “more livable”.
“I think that we’re delivering massively for rural communities, in all sorts of ways,” Mr Johnson said,
“Not least with gigabit broadband, with everything that we’re doing to promote the farming interest, but also to make sure that we help with transport.”
He praised the Integrated Rail Plan – which has been criticised by a number of figures across Yorkshire – and said that there are “improvements across the whole area”, and also pointed to other transport schemes.
“Buses, we are putting absolutely colossal amounts into, he said.
“And rural communities depend on buses.”
“It’s a total revolution,” he added. “That will help drive the whole rural economy, make places livable .
“A combination of gigabit and buses will help to make places more livable.”
Transport policies have been a cornerstone in a number of election campaigns across the country, including with candidates for the South Yorkshire mayor, which is among the positions that will be elected today.
Outgoing South Yorkshire mayor Dan Jarvis has previously said that South Yorkshire had been “shafted” by bus funding plans when the area received no cash after submitting a £474m bid.
Across England more than 4,000 councillors in 146 councils will be elected, across major cities including Leeds, as well as all boroughs in London.
Elsewhere, all 32 councils in Scotland and all 22 in Wales will be holding elections, with residents able to vote from the age of 16.
Yesterday morning, a Cabinet
Minister suggested that Mr Johnson will have the views of his backbenchers and recent issues in the forefront of his mind as the public head to the ballot box today.
Under Conservative Party rules, there must be a vote on the Prime Minister’s future if 54 MPs write to the chairman of the backbench 1922 Committee Sir Graham Brady saying they have lost confidence in their leader.
Environment Secretary George Eustice acknowledged that “all prime ministers will always be very conscious of the mood in their parliamentary party” in response to speculation that poor results today could lead to more letters of no confidence in the Prime Minister.
Mr Eustice added: “No government can get anything done unless it enjoys the support of the parliamentary party as a whole.
“So, of course, the Prime Minister will be thinking about these things. But for now, he’s also making sure that we deal with some of the international challenges like the problems in Ukraine, that we give them the support they need, that we help steer our economy through this period where we’re getting some inflationary pressures.
“And up and down the country we’ve got councillors fighting elections on local issues, things like planning, things like local council tax, and we’re doing our part and the Prime Minister is playing his part to support our councillors in those campaigns for today’s elections.”
The party leaders were visiting key electoral battlegrounds on the last day of campaigning before voters go to the polls.
Mr Johnson visited Southampton airport while Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer was in Wakefield and Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey campaigned in the South East.
I think that we’re delivering massively for rural communities.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson.