Elizabeth Truss said it was time a Norfolk MP was in 10 Downing Street as she went head-to-head with Rishi Sunak to secure votes of local Conservatives in the race to become the next prime minister.

'Wokeness', crime, the NHS and the cost of living crisis were among topics the Tory leadership hopefuls were quizzed about at the leadership hustings in Norwich on Thursday night.

Around 500 people attended the event, hosted by columnist and presenter Julia Hartley-Brewer at the Holiday Inn near Norwich Airport.

South West Norfolk MP Ms Truss said it was great to be in her "adopted county of Norfolk" and said: "Isn't it time we had a Norfolk MP back in 10 Downing Street?"

But her policy to cut taxes was criticised in an early salvo by her rival Mr Sunak, who said he would not “pursue policies that risk making inflation far worse and last far longer, especially if those policies amount to borrowing £50bn and putting that on the country’s credit card”.

Ms Truss said: "I don’t agree with this analysis that tax cuts deliver inflation, I think it’s wrong."

The NHS came under the spotlight, with Mr Sunak saying the service is "extraordinary" when it works well, but that it needed reform.

Ms Truss said the issue with the NHS was not about money, but about correct use of resources.

Asked about crime, Ms Truss said she wanted to see police tackling violent crime, sexual assaults and rapes, rather than "policing Twitter".

Mr Sunak said police were being held back from doing things "because of an ideology".

He said: “We’ve talked about this ‘wokeish’ ideology and, you know, stop and search is a good example of a technique that works that police forces are not always using for reasons that are not right."

On the cost of living crisis, Mr Sunak said he would cut VAT on energy bills, while Ms Truss said said she wanted to tackle the root of the problem - the country not having a sustainable energy supply.

She said she supported fracking and said the country was moving too slowly over nuclear power.

Protestors gathered outside the venue before and after the hustings, with police officers at the scene.

After votes of Conservative members are counted, Boris Johnson's successor will be confirmed on September 5.