Liz Truss Is Campaigning Harder Than Ever In Her Once Safe Tory Seat

The prospect of a Tory wipeout on 4 July means not even South West Norfolk is considered completely safe. Locals say Liz Truss, the constituency's MP of 14 years, is working harder than usual to avoid another political humiliation.

With its acres of farmland and historic market villages, South West Norfolk has always been a safe seat for the Conservatives — one which has been under the stewardship of Liz Truss since 2010.

As Truss climbed the political ladder from Tory backbencher to trade secretary, foreign secretary then prime minister, recent general elections have seen her spend less time campaigning in her constituency. But given the strength of Conservative feeling in this pocket of eastern England, the high-flying cabinet member, more so than the average MP, could afford to be elsewhere.

However, her 44 calamitous days as prime minister in late 2022 – and the reputational nosedive that ensued – has seen Truss hit the campaign trail differently this year.

Since the 4 July General Election was called, Truss has been knocking on thousands of doors. Her Facebook page is a hive of activity: photos inside village halls, with her team on street corners, and a snap of her with some geese. According to Labour candidate Terry Jermy, she's “done more work in South West Norfolk this time than the last three elections combined”.

He told PoliticsHome: “I've seen her all over the constituency the last few weeks, which has been really interesting.

“If she does win she would have earned it with a greater degree than in the past. But I do think there's a genuine chance that she won't.”

Current opinion polling makes terrible reading for Truss' successor, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. While Keir Starmer's Labour continues to enjoy large,