Former prime minister Liz Truss has admitted she made mistakes during her time in Downing Street but said she would learn from them and they would make her a stronger MP.
Her brief spell at Number 10 saw her unveil a disastrous tax-cutting mini-budget which quickly saw the pound tumble and government borrowing costs soar.
She sacked chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng and then resigned after only after 44 days in office.
Ms Truss was recently re-selected to stand for the Conservatives in South West Norfolk at the next general election.
Asked if she believed Norfolk would forgive her and her party she told the Eastern Daily Press: “I’ve admitted that I have made mistakes. I’m human, like everyone else.
“As prime minister, the reason I did what I did - the biggest reason was to ensure that people didn’t face massive energy bills.
“Yes, there were mistakes made. I’ve been honest about that. But the alternative we were facing was people having to pay bills of £6,000.
“I did what I could at the time. Having learned lessons after what happened, I want to be able to apply those lessons.
“Many people after they’ve done big jobs in government, then decide to stand down or not go on.
“But I believe it’s important that there are people who have had that experience, who are able to contribute in Parliament and maybe say ‘here’s what we could have done differently’ or ‘here’s the potential pitfall of doing this’.”
Ms Truss, who has been MP for the constituecy since 2010, admitted the next general election will be “hard”, but insisted she never considered not standing in South West Norfolk again.
She said: “Why I stood to be an MP in the first place is because I wanted to contribute locally and nationally.
“We need to make sure we get the economic growth so we can pay for things like hospitals, so I’m continuing to contribute to the national debate, but with more of a local focus.”
She repeated that she had no intention of seeking to lead the Conservative party again, adding: “I’ve been there and have got the t-shirt”.
