Lincolnshire MPs speak out on Liz Truss resignation

Liz Truss’ abrupt departure as Prime Minister after just 45 days in office has been welcomed by some Lincolnshire MPs, but others are sorry to see her go.

The Prime Minister announced her resignation outside 10 Downing Street on Thursday afternoon, becoming the shortest-serving leader of the country in modern political history.

Her six weeks in power saw the introduction of a mini-budget of tax cuts, lifting bankers’ bonus caps and the energy price guarantee – but almost all the policies were scrapped after a Bank of England intervention to protect pension packages.

It resulted in the sacking of Kwasi Kwarteng as Chancellor, replaced by orchestrator of the mini-budget u-turns Jeremy Hunt, and Truss would last just over a week longer than Kwarteng before she stood down from her Prime Minister role.

A leadership contest will now take place within the Conservative party and be completed by next week, according to the 1922 Committee’s chairman Sir Graham Brady.

Martin Vickers, Member of Parliament for Cleethorpes and 1922 Committee member, says he “welcomes” Truss’ resignation, having publicly backed Rishi Sunak in the leadership race that Liz Truss triumphed in earlier this year.

Cleethorpes MP Martin Vickers. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

He has also confirmed that he wrote a letter to the chairman of the 1922 Committee, outlining the loss of “total credibility and authority” following the u-turns of the mini-budget set out by Truss and sacked Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng.

Mr Vickers said: “I welcome the resignation of Liz Truss. The economic policies on which she stood in the leadership election have been shown to be unworkable. In the leadership election I supported Rishi Sunak who put forward a more cautious and realistic set of policies.”

“Once Liz Truss’s proposals were completely reversed after Jeremy Hunt’s appointment was confirmed she lost total credibility and authority and had to go, something I made clear in a letter to Sir Graham Brady, the chairman of the backbench 1922 Committee.”

Sir Edward Leigh. | Photo: The Lincolnite

However, Gainsborough MP Edward Leigh offered a much more sympathetic tone for the outgoing Prime Minister, saying he is sorry to see her go.

Sir Leigh told The Lincolnite: “I am sorry to hear of the Prime Minister’s resignation but she clearly felt she could not carry on under the circumstances. She has my sympathy.

“We now need to focus on this country’s priorities and tackle the problems we are facing, including the cost of living crisis and seeking peace in eastern Europe.”

Leigh and Vickers are the 2nd and 3rd Greater Lincolnshire MPs to share their thoughts on Liz Truss’ resignation with The Lincolnite, following Lincoln MP Karl McCartney – who said the Conservative party needs someone who “commands the respect” of its members and the British public.

Lincoln MP Karl McCartney. | Photo: Daniel Jaines

Mr McCartney stated: “It became clear after our Party Conference that our Prime Minister Liz Truss could not command the support of the Parliamentary Conservative Party.

“My parliamentary inbox, in conversations with Conservative voters and Lincoln residents they have been clear: in this time of critical global challenges the United Kingdom must be led by an individual who commands the support of the majority of their fellow Members of Parliament in their party.

“This election must be swift, so we can move on with the job of Governing the United Kingdom in this most difficult of circumstances.

“As many are aware, I never wanted Boris Johnson to resign, he may, or may not, put himself forward next week. Whoever decides to put themselves forward, I do wish the very best, as I did the 11 leadership candidates earlier this year.”