It's official - after a long summer of campaigning and speculation, Liz Truss will become the next Prime Minister.
She achieved an strong victory, taking 57pc of the vote to beat ex-chancellor Rishi Sunak to the top job. But the vote was only open to Conservative party members, meaning the majority of the electorate were not eligible to have their say.
And far away from Westminster, shoppers in Harpurhey this afternoon were more concerned about what comes next than who comes next.
Friends Mary Barlow and Linda Simpson said they found it hard to trust Truss with sorting the big issues facing the country.
"I think she's promising a lot that she can't deliver," Linda told the Manchester Evening News. "I think she's better than Rishi, but I would've preferred Boris to stay."
Mary and Linda disagreed on their preferred candidate, but were more concerned about their energy bills this coming winter.
"I'm very worried about the energy crisis," Linda said. "If it's going to be £40 a week to pay those bills, that leaves me with just £60 to live on."
She said she thought the government needed to do more for pensioners - she is worried about how she will live this winter on her £102 per week state pension.
And their concerns were shared by others in the area. Mother and daughter Lorraine Ward, 53, and Ellen Ormrod, 18, also said they didn't 'have faith' in Truss to get to grips with the country's biggest issues.
"I don't think she's trustworthy," Lorraine said. "She backstabbed Boris - if it were up to me, I'd bring Boris back. He's just personable and likeable.
"I feel like the rich are just out to get richer, and nobody is talking about the fact there is an energy crisis."
Lorraine said she is on a fixed energy tariff right now, but is fearful of when it ends in March. She said according to her calculations, she'd be paying £1,000 per month just to heat and power her home.
Daughter Ellen also didn't trust Truss, but said she didn't believe the Labour party are a 'viable alternative' at the moment. She called Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer a 'wolf in sheep's clothing', and thought that smaller parties like the Greens would be set to gain from the current political uncertainty.
One group of shoppers, who all wished to stay anonymous, said they didn't trust 'any' politicians - and said until they see change, they don't believe what Truss, or any others, say.
"They need to get a grip, and find out how much a loaf of bread costs right now," one man said.
Another admitted that they didn't even know who she was until she was elected this lunchtime. "It doesn't matter to me who the prime minister is," they said. "None of them have a clue".
Local business owner Gareth White, who runs Harpurhey Burger Van, said he didn't really know much about Truss, but he had more faith in the Conservatives than in Labour to deal with the economy.
"The Conservatives are just more trustworthy on the economy," he said. "I don't trust Labour."
Another woman said she volunteers at low-cost grocery shop The Bread and Butter Thing, which is a lifeline for many. When she started volunteering just after Covid, she said there were a few regulars.
"Now, there are queues around the corner every week," she said. "Nobody has got any money".
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