Hampshire Conservatives pledge 'full support' to Liz Truss after hotly-contested leadership election

Today, it was confirmed that Liz Truss has beaten Rishi Sunak to the top job in the Conservative Party, with 57 per cent of votes going in her favour.

In Hampshire, a poll run by the Local Democracy Reporting Service indicated there was slightly more support for Mr Sunak here in the south.

Meon Valley MP Flick Drummond had thrown her support behind Mr Sunak in the leadership contest.

Following today's result, she said: 'I congratulate Ms Truss on winning the leadership election and on becoming the third female prime minister of this country.

'She has my full support in addressing the considerable challenges the country faces with the cost of living, energy security and the war in Ukraine.

'There are difficult times ahead for us all. However, Ms Truss is a talented and experienced leader who has made it clear she will act quickly to address energy price rises, which I know everyone in Hampshire is very concerned about.

'The key now is to assemble a good team around her and to hit the ground running. We need to protect the economy and jobs in the months ahead.'

By contrast, since she was knocked out of the contest herself, Portsmouth North MP Penny Mordaunt has publicly backed Ms Truss.

She said: 'Support for cost of living, a focus on growth business, increasing defence spending and getting the NHS through the backlog crisis - these were the themes of her campaign and her speech, and they are Portsmouth's priorities too.'

Gosport MP Caroline Dinenage said: 'I welcome Ms Truss to her new role as prime minister.

'I urge her to deliver immediate and comprehensive support to reassure local people they will not have to face cost of living pressures alone

'I would like to see a renewed commitment to levelling up the UK with a recognition that coastal communities, like Gosport, have as much need as those in the north.'

Hampshire County Council member for Lee, Cllr Graham Burgess, said: 'Liz Truss certainly wasn't my first choice - Penny Mordaunt would have been a safer pair of hands - but I do wish her well.

'The next 2-3 weeks will be very interesting. She has a hard job to do with the gas and electric bills.

'My concern is that these energy firms have control over the prices but are making billions of pounds in profit.'

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