Liz Truss was given a heartfelt welcome at our annual dinner in the country setting of Hadlow Manor on the first Friday in July. The weather was perfect for an enjoyable evening starting with drinks and lots of chat on the terrace. After a delicious dinner, Liz spoke.
Liz gave a clear and forceful speech in which she put forward
- That economic forecasts are not facts, although some people present them as such. They are an amalgam of a mass of large assumptions and a very few facts. Changing one of those assumptions can have a large impact on the outcome.
- There is a growing negative economic impact from the uncertainty of not moving past Brexit and therefore it is imperative that we move forward.
- after we achieve Brexit there will be the even greater fight against Corbyn. To do this, we all need to talk to people about our core Conservative beliefs.
Liz comes from a staunch Labour family. However, she realised early on that the Conservatives are the party of aspiration. We want people to aspire to greater things and encourage them to do so. Many young people have their own small businesses supplementing their income and therefore they should follow that aspirational message. She encouraged us all to talk to young people about our beliefs.
- Looking to the future she was eager that productivity should be increased and gave several examples of areas where she would like government to give additional support including innovation.
The evening ended with a game, a raffle, a lively auction and the usual post event mingling.