Bishop Auckland MP Dehenna Davison has come out in support of Liz Truss to succeed Boris Johnson as Prime Minister.
Ms Davison said the Foreign Secretary had "a proper vision" and would "carry this country forward".
The Tory backbencher also took a swipe at Mr Johnson's time in Downing Street, saying his "lack of integrity" had distracted from the major issues facing the country.
Read more: 'He leaves behind a legacy of lies and incompetence', North East MPs react to Boris Johnson's exit
Ms Truss, who is yet to confirm she is in the running for Tory leader, currently has 10/1 odds to be the next Prime Minister.
Ms Davison, appearing on BBC One's Question Time, said: "It's got to be someone with a proper vision that's going to carry this country forward, that's going to make Great Britain a great place, that is going to inspire this country to want to do better and to move forward.
"For me, a person with that vision, with a good economic vision but also with a track record of delivery in government is Liz Truss, so if she stands she'll get my support."
Ms Davison, who was rumoured to be among a cabal of Northern MPs plotting to oust Mr Johnson earlier this year, called for the issue of leadership to be resolved "speedily".
Many Tory backbenchers have been calling on Mr Johnson to vacate Number 10 and allow his deputy Dominic Raab to serve as caretaker until a new leader is elected.
Ms Davison said: "What has happened over the past six to eight months has been a distraction. It's been a government that's been focused unfortunately on Boris Johnson, on events that have emerged out of Downing Street, on the antics that have followed.
"And in my view, what we absolutely need now is focus on the issues that matter."
She added: "I didn't vote for him in the leadership contest and I'm not entirely surprised by how it's panned out."
"It started unravelling because of a lack of integrity and because of lies that were coming out of Downing Street.
"I think there have been many mistruths that have been told and I think they've continued to be told and whenever they've been caught out, a new lie has been found."
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