Rishi Sunak defends Nottinghamshire visit during labour party conference
The Prime Minister visited Currys repair and customer service centre in Newark for one of his PM Connect events with business employees.
Last updated 9th Oct 2023
Rishi Sunak has denied that he targeted a so-called Red Wall region during the Labour Party conference because he was worried about the Conservatives' chances at the next election.
The Prime Minister spent Monday morning visiting a Currys repair and customer service centre in Newark, Nottinghamshire, for one of his PM Connect events with business employees.
Taking media questions during the event, Mr Sunak was asked by a reporter whether his decision to take the "unusual step" of making a public visit during the Labour conference was a sign of "desperation".
The two largest parties have what is said to be an unwritten agreement that they keep a low profile during each other's autumn conferences, with Labour currently gathered in Liverpool following the four-day Tory summit in Manchester last week.
Mr Sunak was told the Tories won six seats from Labour in the East Midlands during Boris Johnson's 2019 landslide victory which was built on blue gains in Labour's traditional heartlands of the North of England and the Midlands - a feat that could prove difficult to replicate should opinion polls fail to narrow.
The Conservative Party leader rejected the suggestion he had chosen to visit the region because he was worried about retaining those Red Wall seats at a likely election next year.
He said: "No, I think that kind of approach to everything is incredibly political.
"I'm here to talk about the plans that we've announced. Just over the past few weeks, we've announced some pretty big things that are going to impact all of you, whether that is on net zero, on HS2, on support for towns like Mansfield, like Newark.
"I wanted to come here to the East Midlands to talk about it and the impact that those decisions (will have) on people, to explain why I think they are the right thing for people here and to hear from them.
"I think that is the right thing to do in this job."
Both Newark and Mansfield will benefit from the Government's £1 billion investment to improve the UK's towns, which was announced ahead of the Tory conference.
The pair are among 55 areas to be given £20 million over a 10-year period to help regenerate high streets and tackle anti-social behaviour.
A spokesman for shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves described the Prime Minister's visit as "desperate".