Much of the United Kingdom has been built with Sheffield-made steel. Top businesses like Morrisons started out in Bradford and many others are growing fast across the county. It is the engine driving forward our nation’s success story.

But people in Yorkshire still face huge challenges, from making ends meet amid the global economic crisis to getting a good education and realising their dreams.

The same opportunities should be available no matter where you live. However, that has not been the case for decade after decade.

Such a lack of opportunity has a considerable cost. Recent research by the Government’s Equality Data Programme found that people who went to school in Yorkshire and the Humber went on to earn £5,900 less on average than those who did in London. It equates to a difference in annual pay of nearly a third.

This cannot be acceptable. That is why we are backing Liz Truss for the leadership of our party and great country. Liz grew up and went to school in Yorkshire. She is a firm believer in equality of opportunity and is determined to turn the United Kingdom into an aspiration nation, where people from all parts and all backgrounds can succeed.

As Prime Minister, Liz would take immediate action to tackle the cost of living by slashing taxes to put more money back in people’s pockets. She would break from the business-as- usual economic management which has resulted in the highest tax burden since the 1940s by reversing the rise in National Insurance, the planned increase in corporation tax and suspending green levies on energy bills.

This is a key part of her clear plan to make Britain a high-growth economy over the next ten years. She would double down on our levelling up agenda, delivering for communities across Yorkshire and upholding our commitment to people in every part of the UK.

Liz has shown the strength of her commitment by signing up to the pledges put forward by our colleagues in the Northern Research Group.

They included appointing a minister for the North, creating new vocational institutions to rival Oxford and Cambridge and investing in infrastructure fairly across the UK. We will deliver real change for the British people through bold supply-side reforms such as creating new low-tax and low-regulation zones to attract investment in local areas, developing new hubs for innovation, industry and ideas in the spirit of places like Saltaire.

We know Liz can be trusted to deliver this ambitious agenda after working across six departments to get results for the British people. As Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Liz kept a firm grip on the nation’s finances.

As Trade Secretary, she signed dozens of trade deals with major markets such as Australia and Japan, helping the best of British businesses like Yorkshire Tea to be enjoyed by more consumers across the world.

She led by example in seizing the benefits of Brexit by opening up a world of opportunity to our exporters.

As Foreign Secretary, Liz stood up to Vladimir Putin over his brutal invasion of Ukraine and spearheaded our world-leading sanctions programme in order to starve his war machine of funds.

This has targeted more individuals and organisations complicit in the appalling war than any other country.

No matter the challenge, Liz has stepped up to the plate time after time. She pioneered legislation to solve the problems with the Northern Ireland Protocol in a legal way which will uphold the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement, and pushed it through Whitehall and its second reading in Parliament.

Liz has been determined to deliver for people across our country, including Yorkshire. As Trade Secretary, she fought hard to break down the United States’ ban on our exports of lamb and beef, which farmers across the county produce so well.

As Environment Secretary, she created the UK’s largest national park, protecting the Yorkshire Dales and the Lake District for generations to come.

This is why Liz has attracted such a broad base of support, including many Yorkshire MPs like us.

She would lead a government which comprises the best and brightest from across our party, united in our determination to deliver for people up and down the UK.

Together, we will unleash our great country’s potential by driving real change to the benefit of people across Yorkshire and beyond.

Why Liz Truss is the leader this country needs - Mark Eastwood, Andrea Jenkyns, Jason McCartney, Alec Shelbrooke and Graham Stuart