Conservatives in Liz Truss' constituency have given a mixed reaction to her resignation as Prime Minister today (October 20). One said she was not given a fair chance but another said she "took a job above her station".
Ms Truss, the MP for South West Norfolk, this afternoon signalled the end of the shortest term by any Prime Minister after just 44 days in office. Paul Darby, a local Conservative councillor in Swaffham, within Ms Truss' constituency, said it was "very sad".
"We all knew that it was going to be a very poisoned chalice sort of thing taking it on in the first place," he said. "I would say there's a lot of backstabbing from other MPs really.
"I think a little bit was self-inflicted but there was an awful lot of push-from-behind sort of thing." He said he believes her successor is "going to be in for a very rough time".
"I don't honestly think whoever gets it now will last very long," said Mr Darby. "I think there will be a General Election within a few months of whoever's got the job.
"Early part of next year I think is the longest it will go on for." He added of Ms Truss: "I hope she can survive as an MP but who knows."
Colin Houghton, who also sits on Swaffham Town Council as a Conservative member, said: "My personal view is I don't think they've given her a fair chance. I'm not saying she hasn't perhaps made a few mistakes on the way but I think they should have stayed with her for a longer time to give her a chance to really settle in and try to convey some of her messages a bit better.
"I'm personally disappointed." He said that a "lot of things have been outside of her control", citing energy costs as a problem "facing other countries worldwide".
On the subject of a fresh leadership contest, Mr Houghton said: "I don't necessarily think it's going to do the Conservative Party any favours. I don't think the public at large really wanted to go through this process again so quickly.
"I think a lot of the general public will be disappointed." Christopher Cock, a parish councillor in Feltwell, said he had "voted Conservative all my life", adding: "I'm 59 and every election since I was able to vote, I've voted for the Conservative Party."
But he was critical of his local MP Ms Truss. "I think we could all see the writing on the wall and basically she took a job above her station and I think we all felt that in and around the locality," he said.
"She was someone who just wanted self-promotion. She was parachuted into a safe seat here to get a step on the ladder."
He said Ms Truss had "done a lot of damage in the last 44 days". "She hasn't done anybody any favours at all," Mr Cock continued.
"She hasn't delivered on anything and she wasn't ever going to as she didn't have the parliamentary support. She had the support of the party members but to be honest all the party members didn’t see her first-hand like us in the south-west of Norfolk have."
He added: "I'm not disappointed to see her go because I just knew she wasn't up to the job and I think most people round in this constituency felt the same to be honest."
