With the UK Government in turmoil just a month after a new Prime Minister took the post, both the politicians and the public have been questioning whether it's time for a General Election, and in turn a new leader.
On Monday, October 18, just days after former chancellor Kwasi Kwarteg was sacked following 28 days in the role, new chancellor Jeremy Hunt reversed all of his predecessor's policies, forcing Prime Minister Liz Truss to apologise for the mistakes she made over the mini-budget, which threw the economy into chaos.
In an interview with the BBC, the Prime Minster accepted responsibility for going "too far, too fast" and wanted to apologise for mistakes her government made. However, for many people, it is too little too late for the new PM.
Read more: We asked Liz Truss why she's not called Mark Drakeford since becoming Prime Minister
On the streets of Ebbw Vale in Blaenau Gwent, the mood is split. Some don't want an election, fearing more change, while some think it's inevitable, but what they do all agree on is that something has to change.
Phillip Dobbs is in his 80s and has lived in the area all his life, he says he looks around and sees "poverty" he says is caused by the government in power. He said: " I think this government has run its time completely. It’s now in danger of the democratic spirit of the whole country, people are getting very cynical about it, they don’t want to bother.
"What amazes me, born and bred in Ebbw Vale is the rapid decline of Blaenau Gwent. The levels of poverty that I see around. If I go down the doctor's surgery and see the elderly people queueing around for an appointment, there’s poverty there. You go down the streets and see the youngsters hanging around with nothing to do, there’s poverty there."
He thinks that the government are intent on creating "pockets of wealth" across the country. He said: "You look at the services we rely on, you can’t get doctors who want to work up in the valleys, social services are basically non-existent, and at the same time you see it, you see this community going downhill.
"But you get pockets of real wealth and that is what this government is about, creating pockets of real wealth. I’m shocked and saddened you know."
Similarly, speaking in the town centre, Victoria Griffiths thinks that the policies introduced by Truss - some of which have not been reversed by the new chancellor - are only benefiting the richest in the country.
She said: "I definitely do [think we need to have an election}, based on nothing more than how it’s come about and I just think her policies, and everything she says is wrong.
"This trickle effect, or the tax break for those who are already rich, it isn’t going to come into affect for at least 20 years with the economy the way it is. And us poor here are working full time really hard and are really struggling, I just think it’s wrong that the rich get richer and the poor get even poorer."
She continued: "It’s going to affect us all, it’s already affecting us all with what’s going on at the moment with the credit crunch and cost of living, it’s nonsense. I think we should have a say, I know people don’t because they don’t understand it. But when you’re trying to work full time and I do and have never claimed benefits, it’s really hard.
"To hear that people are on £150,000 or whatever they are, are going to get a tax break, and then we are still 20 years before we are going to feel the effects. And there’s no guarantee that the rich are going to spend their money here, in this town or this country even."
The Labour Party in opposition have called for a General Election, in reaction to the economic impact of Truss' policies. However, for some people, the difference between both parties is not big enough to make enough of a difference. Terence Cahill says he "hasn't got confidence in any of them.
"My way of thinking is, when you look at them and listen to their policies, there’s very little between them. The Conservatives are in a mess because of this mini budget which wasn’t a mini-budget, labour are just sitting back, putting forward things they want to do but not costing them and nobody is saying to them ‘well how are you going to pay for this?’
"I listened to the Andrew Neil show this week, they said ‘there’s a 100,000 jobs we can get and that’ll pay for it, it’s nonsense. They promise you the moon and then they get in there and it all dries up."
In announcing his changes, new chancellor Jeremy Hunt made a U-turn on the energy cap, meaning it will now only last until April 2023, rather than into early 2024 as expected. For Terence it is policies such as these and the impact that have made him lose faith in the current administration.
He said: "Look at what they’ve done today, they’ve taken this two-year extension on heating and now only running it to April. A lot of people are going to be in serious trouble. I feel sorry for a lot of them. At my age I’m pretty good, I haven’t got a young family or anything like that.
"But when I look at some people and the bills they’re getting I think, bloody hell how are they going to pay. Everything is going up even in the shops, and it’s not going up one or two pence, it’s going up 10p, 20p, 30p in a matter of a week. I despair at this country sometimes I honestly do.
"My father was a labour man down to his toes and I've voted for labour all my life but he would turn in his grave now because I haven’t voted in the last three. I haven’t got any confidence in any of them."
Similarly, Susan Williams doesn't think that Labour has all the answers. She said: "I think it is a good idea [to have a General Election], the way the country is. The Tories are not performing as they should, so I think perhaps change all around might be a good thing - it might be a bad thing because Labour has not been that good lately but you don’t know."
But for others, they think that disgraced Prime Minister Boris Johnson should have stayed in power to deal with the cost of living crisis. Wendy Thomas said: "The world is in a mess and we need somebody new in to sort things out." When asked about whether Liz Truss is doing a good job in the role she said: "We should have left Boris in."
But while Liz Truss says now is not the time for a new leader, some agree with her. Daniel Awatar said there was "no point" in having another General Election. He said: "You’re not sure where you’re coming or going, you don’t know if everything is going to get better or not, you just don’t know where you stand.
"I don’t think there should be an election, there’s no point really. I believe that they just don’t go on what they say, it’s just a bit of a nuisance really."
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