Devon MPs react to appointment of Liz Truss as new Prime Minister

By Local Democracy Reporter Georgia Cornish

Devon's politicians have been reacting to the appointment of Liz Truss as the new Prime Minister.

The former Foreign Secretary took 57 per cent of the votes to become leader of the Conservative Party, beating former Chancellor Rishi Sunak.

Ms Truss was officially appointed after visiting Her Majesty the Queen at Balmoral today (Tuesday), where she was invited to form a government after Boris Johnson tended his resignation.

Nine out of Devon's 12 MPs are Conservative, including East Devon's Simon Jupp, who backed Rishi Sunak.

Mr Jupp offered his congratulations to the new Tory leader on Twitter, and sent his commiserations to Mr Sunak.

He said: "The Conservative Party must now unite to support our new prime minister against Putin's invasion and the huge impact it's having on the cost of living in EastDevon. United we stand, divided we fall. Onwards!"

Selaine Saxby, the MP for North Devon, also backed the 'Ready4Rishi' campaign but tweeted with a similar sentiment to her colleague.

She wrote on Twitter: "There is a lot of work to do, and I look forward to working with the new prime minister to continue to level up across rural Britain and especially N. Devon"

Liberal Democrat Richard Foord, who recently overturned the Conservatives' long-running majority in Tiverton & Honiton, was less welcoming, releasing the following statement: "Liz Truss and the Conservatives have spent months failing to act on soaring energy bills, leaving local residents in despair and small businesses going to the wall.

"They have shown they are completely out of touch with people in the West Country who are struggling to get by.

"It is time that Conservative MPs across Devon finally listened to Liberal Democrat calls to freeze energy bills to save families and pensioners from an economic catastrophe this winter. We have tabled legislation to freeze energy bills, which could be brought in on day one to offer the help that local families and businesses need.

"Liz Truss' premiership represents more of the same failed Conservative party policies as Boris Johnson, which have led to a cost of living crisis, leaving families and pensioners at breaking point. It's clear that the country is in dire need of a change."

Teignbridge District Council leader Alan Connett (Lib Dem, Teignbridge District Council) congratulated Ms Truss, but warned: "It will be a huge task to reunite the country after the scorching divisions on the past few years.

"That's alongside the urgent support needed for families, businesses and communities across the country struggling with the cost of living crisis, the energy crisis, the housing crisis, the crisis in the NHS, the crisis in adults and children's social care, and now soaring inflation.

"The new Prime Minister's 'to do' list will be very long, I'm sure. However, at the top of that list are very real issues that threaten every household and many, many businesses.

"Like so many people, I have not been impressed by the 'ping-pong' politics of the Conservatives in recent years, nor this latest Leadership election."

Luke Pollard MP (Labour, Plymouth Sutton & Devonport), tweeted: "After four prime ministers in 12 years, Britain deserves a fresh start with a general election.

"Liz Truss must now immediately address the rising cost of living crisis by freezing energy bills as Labour has set out.

"I will be writing to the new PM to urge her to give the south west our fair share but after her comments about wanting to cut pay for public sector workers in the South West, I'm afraid I'm not holding my breath.

"Bring on a general election and a Labour government"

Unlike his Plymouth colleague, Exeter MP Ben Bradshaw, who is to stand down at the next general election, hasn't appealed for another vote.

Instead, he said: "Truss has been chosen to be Prime Minister by a tiny number of Conservative members and with the lowest level of support from those members or her own MPs of any leader in modern times.

"It also seems clear she is about to renege on all the promises she made during the leadership campaign, including adopting Labour's policy of freezing energy bills.

"This would be welcome, but the nature of her election, her lack of a mandate and the rancour that the contest generated does not auger well for competent and stable government at a time when Britain has never needed it more."