This weekend Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was in Worsthorne as part of a tour of the North West taking in Pendle, Burnley, Bury and Heywood.
Joining local Member of Parliament Antony Higginbotham who invited him, and ward councillor Cosima Towneley, the Prime Minister knocked on the doors of residents canvassing ahead of the local elections next month.
Residents brought up what levelling up meant in practice, as well as the cost of living and difficulties being faced because of high inflation. In response the Prime Minister highlighted a number of major investments in Burnley since the 2019 election, including £32 million from the Levelling Up Fund which is transforming Newtown Mill, Manchester Road Station, and Town 2 Turf; as well as the expansion of the town centre through Pioneer Place and the investments at Burnley College and Burnley Hospital. Together the Prime Minister said these interventions would extend opportunity for thousands of people across Burnley.
He also discussed the current cost of living support package, and reiterated that the Government was doing everything possible to drive down inflation and the price of energy. The windfall tax is already targeting the excess profits of oil and gas companies brought about by the war in Ukraine, and latest figures indicate inflation has now passed its peak.
Mark, a Worsthorne resident who received one of the Prime Minister's door knocks, said
"it's not something you expect when you answer the door, to see the Prime Minister there, but it was clear that he was interested in what I was saying, and wanted to know more about the issues I raised with him. There's no quick fix for the issues our country faces, but he's the best person for the job in my opinion."
After knocking on doors the Prime Minister was invited into the Crooked Billet pub to meet with local Conservative councillors and members; the pub’s staff; and local residents who had gone in for a pint.
Commenting after the visit, Burnley & Padiham’s MP Antony Higginbotham said,
“This is the second Prime Ministerial visit we’ve had since I got elected, with the first being to the centre of Burnley to the college. Then we showcased our incredible skills in engineering and construction and made the case for further expanding our educational offering. So welcoming Rishi this weekend, where we could show off some of our rural areas too, was brilliant.”
“Knocking on doors it was also clear that that PMs pledges – on inflation, growth, debt, the NHS and immigration – are exactly what the public want us to focus on.”
“I’ve already extended another invite to Rishi to come back and see us when he next can, as we have so much to show. And, of course, having the Prime Minister or any Cabinet Minister here is a unique opportunity for me to talk about how we can continue to drive forward change in our area, on home turf.”
The Prime Minister said afterwards that
“there is so much happening in Burnley, and I’m pleased I could get up to campaign with Antony, who is a brilliant local MP and who time after time manages to get more investment out of me and the Chancellor. And with local elections just a few weeks away it was good to meet Burnley Conservatives and the brilliant candidates they have standing right across Burnley. I'd encourage all residents to lend them their vote.”
Lancashire’s Conservative Police and Crime Commissioner, Andrew Snowden, was also in Worsthorne at the time, speaking to residents about rural crime. He said,
“Rural crime is an issue that really affects communities in places like Worsthorne and is why I spend so much of my time out speaking to residents - making sure that the Police are focusing on the issues that matter to them. But being there on Saturday, when the Prime Minister was also there, was a great opportunity to thank him for the £2 million that Government is investing in anti-social behaviour policing in Lancashire. This is money that will allow us to tackle hotspot areas for ASB, investing in additional patrols, and it was positive to hear the Prime Minister recognise the work we are already doing in Lancashire on this."
