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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Politics
Ashley Cowburn

Majority of Tory members say Liz Truss should resign as MPs fear ‘15 years out of power’

A majority of Tory members want Liz Truss to resign after one of the most disastrous starts to a premiership in modern British history.

The snap poll by YouGov found over half of members - 55% - believe the Prime Minister should quit No 10, with just 38% wanting her to stay on.

An overwhelming majority of 83% also said Ms Truss was doing badly as Tory leader - compared with just 15% who believed she was doing well.

Among those who voted for Ms Truss to become leader only six weeks ago, however, 57% said she should remain in post, compared with 39% saying she should resign.

It also shows Boris Johnson tops the list of senior Tories that members would most want to see take over if Ms Truss does quit No10.

A third of those polled - 32% - would like to see the former Prime Minister who resigned in scandal in July take over - compared to 23% for Rishi Sunak.

The bombshell poll comes less than 24 hours after a survey also showed Labour enjoying its largest lead over the Conservatives since October 1997.

YouGov's survey of 530 Conservative members was conducted after the embattled Prime Minister sacked her Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng in a bid to save her job.

Ministers leave a meeting of Liz Truss's Cabinet on Tuesday (AFP via Getty Images)

In recent days her newly appointed Chancellor has also ripped up the mini-Budget, scrapping key tax pledges Ms Truss made during the leadership contest.

The chaos has led to five Tory MPs publicly calling for the PM to quit and privately dozens more backbenchers are furious at the turmoil.

The senior MP Sir Charles Walker, who has called for Ms Truss to quit, has warned the Tories could be out of power for 15 years if they fail to topple her.

Speaking on Times Radio today, Sir Charles said: "I don't think the position is sufficiently recoverable with the current prime minister."

"I think if we get the right person at the helm, who doesn't promise Conservative MPs the land of milk and honey and jobs in government and this that and the other, then we have got a chance of proving in the dying days, the last two years to the British people that we are a serious organisation and if discarded at the next general election, we might be worth taking a look at in five or 10 years time."

If that doesn't happen, he says, "I think we'll be out for 15 years. I think it's that existential"

Liz Truss watches silently in the Commons as Penny Mordaunt answers questions on her behalf (PRU/AFP via Getty Images)

His comments came after Ms Truss finally apologised for her "mistakes" on Monday evening and said she would lead the Tories into the next general election.

The Prime Minister admitted she "made a mistake" with her disastrous mini-Budget after it sent the markets into turmoil.

She told the BBC : "I do think it is the mark of an honest politician who does say, yes, I've made a mistake. I do want to accept responsibility and say sorry, for the mistakes that have been made.

"I wanted to act but to help people with their energy bills to deal with the issue of high taxes, but we went too far and too fast.

"I've acknowledged that. I put in place a new chancellor with a new strategy to restore economic stability."

She said she is "sticking around" because she was "elected to deliver for this country", adding: "I will lead the Conservatives into the next general election."

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