Voters said the Prime Minister, Liz Truss, was found 'hopelessly wanting' today as she toured radio stations in the face of growing fears over the UK economy.
Ms Truss spoke on several regional BBC radio stations - from Leeds to Norfolk - with listeners taking to Twitter to slam her responses to certain questions, with one saying she 'crumbled' as she gave answers.
They were her first public comments since the Chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng's, mini-budget and statement plunged the financial markets into turmoil.
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On BBC Radio Lancashire, the PM was asked about fracking by host Graham Liver, in the wake of her Government controversially reviving the practice and overturning a ban.
She was asked: "What does local consent look like Prime Minister?" There was a pause from Ms Truss before she said the energy secretary would be laying out in more detail 'exactly what that looks like'. "It does mean making sure there is local support for going ahead," she said. "I will make sure there is local consent if we are to go ahead in any particular area with fracking."
It was put to her that the 'science hasn't changed', her 'local MPs don't want it' and Lancashire County Council in the past said it didn't want fracking. "Why can't you tell us this morning there won't be a return to fracking in Lancashire?," the PM was asked.
She said she 'didn't accept the premise' of the question before she was asked: "In America they do it in the middle of nowhere. Do you actually know where Preston New Road is where they have been fracking?"
"I don't think I have been to that site in the past," replied Ms Truss. "Shouldn't you?" asked the host. There was a pause before Ms Truss said the Government would only go ahead with projects where there is local consent.
Responding on Twitter, one listener - @dinosofos - said: "Liz Truss crumbles under questioning from @GrahamLiver on @BBCLancashire about local consent for fracking."
Another - @AlfredTheOK - said: "A proper interview, Graham. You asked the pertinent questions, she was found hopelessly wanting. "It's clear, they hope to foist this on communities as far north of London as they can. If so, she's in for a shock, who the hell wants to see the value of their house cut in half?" Others said the PM was 'painfully bad under pressure'.
On BBC Radio Bristol, host James Hanson asked the PM whether she could guarantee to his listeners that their pensions were safe.
"Well, the Bank of England does a very, very good job on delivering financial stability," said Ms Truss.
It was put to her that 'that's not an answer, Prime Minister' before Mr Hanson put the same question to her again. She responded: "The Bank of England do that and they do a very good job of it."
On Twitter reacting to the interview, Labour's Rochdale MP Tony Lloyd said: "This should worry millions of people."
Listener - @TobyonTV - said on Twitter: "OH MY DAYS. James Hanson, BBC Bristol, calls out Liz Truss's scripted answers, refuses to accept this is all down to Putin, & asks if the Bank of England had to intervene because of him."
Writing on Twitter, another listener - @AllanFuller - said: "Liz Truss's silence when questioned on interest rates and mortgages on BBC Local Radios is shocking and worrying. The mini budget has created turmoil in the financial markets and spooked the property market, yet the PM sounds as though she doesn’t understand what is happening."
And @dust_heat said: "Listening to Liz Truss, The PM here on BBC Local Radio is enough to make your ears bleed. The frequent and extended tumbleweed pauses are bloody excruciating."
On BBC Radio Stoke, the PM was said to be 'lost for words' over mortgages. Host John Acres questioned her on 'borrowing more and putting our mortgages up'. There was a pause before the PM said: "We need to borrow more this winter for the energy crisis that we are facing."
She said it was the 'right thing to do' before Mr Acres told her: "We are going to spent more in mortgage fees under what you have done based on the predictions than we would have saved with energy." Another pause was followed by: "I don't think anyone is arguing that we shouldn't have acted on energy."
On Twitter @dinosofos said: "Sweet lord. The PM is literally lost for words on BBC Stoke when questioned about mortgages."
Asked about criticism of the mini-budget, Ms Truss told BBC Radio Norfolk the situation 'has been caused by Putin's appalling war in Ukraine.
She said: "As Prime Minister I have to do what I believe is right for the country and what’s going to help move our country forward, and of course there are many people with many different opinions, but what I think nobody is arguing with is that we had to take action to deal with what is a very, very difficult economic situation and this situation has been caused by Putin’s appalling war in Ukraine.
"That has pushed up energy prices , we are still facing the aftermath of the Covid crisis, it’s important that the UK is on the front foot, that we are pulling all the levers we can to drive economic growth."
The PM said she still believes in “sound money” after Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s £45 billion tax cut plunged financial markets into turmoil. "I would point out that interest rates are going up around the world," she told BBC Radio Bristol. "The Federal Reserve has raised interest rates. This is a global phenomenon."
On BBC Radio Tees, Ms Truss was told about a listener, Diane, who has had to sell her house of 25 years due to the cost-of-living crisis.
The Prime Minister was asked how tax cuts for the wealthiest would help people like Diane, and replied: “Well, we are cutting taxes across the board because we were facing the highest tax burden on Britain for 70 years and that was causing a lack of economic growth, and without growth we don’t get the investment, we don’t get the jobs we need, which helps local communities right around the country.
“We’re also reversing the increase in national insurance. We’re also reducing the basic rate. So we’re reducing taxes across the board, because the tax burden was too high.”
Asked how she was creating a fairer tax system, Ms Truss told BBC Radio Nottingham: “The reality is, people having lower taxes across the board – everything from national insurance to corporation tax to income tax – helps everybody because it helps grow the economy.
“It's not necessarily popular to keep corporation tax low but I want to make sure we do because I want to make sure we attract investment into this country.”
And asked by BBC Radio Kent if she will reverse the policies unveiled in the mini-budget, the Prime Minister replied, again: "I don’t accept the premise of the question. The action we’ve taken has been helping people with their fuel bills, that will start off this weekend… people are going to pay less national insurance, but we are facing difficult economic times. I don’t deny this.
"This is a global problem."
Read more of today's top stories here
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