Hampshire Conservatives wish Portsmouth North MP Penny Mordaunt was still an option for prime minister vote

The Portsmouth North MP was knocked out of the Tory leadership race on Wednesday, July 20 after securing fewer votes from MPs than Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss.

Now, it'll be up to Conservative members across the country to decide a winner from the final two.

But some councillors in Hampshire say neither candidate stands out as a better option - with one even saying they're 'left to pick the lesser of two evils'.

Leader of Fareham Borough Council, Cllr Sean Woodward, said: 'I am still waiting to see the two of them set up their stalls - I was disappointed that they pulled out of doing a televised debate.

'My preference for prime minister had been Penny Mordaunt and I made that very clear from the first round of voting.

'I was saddened to see that she lost out at the last round despite being second throughout.'

Conservative leader in Gosport, Cllr Graham Burgess, says Tory members should have more influence throughout the process.

He said: 'Neither of the two remaining candidates are the person I was backing - I was supporting Penny Mordaunt and am disappointed she didn't get through, we needed a fresh face with confidence in the dispatch box.

'Kemi Badenoch looked like a good candidate too, and a lot of Conservative members are thinking the same thing. The MPs are so utterly devolved from the association that the views of members aren't considered.

'Liz Truss doesn't command the dispatch box and with what he's done in the past, I cannot back Rishi Sunak either.

'We're left to pick the lesser of two evils and I think those that started all this will rue the day they got rid of Boris Johnson.'

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Leader of Hampshire County Council, Cllr Rob Humby, says the key for him is a prime minister that will progress the county deal - a proposal for devolved powers to Hampshire and more freedom over finances.

He said: 'It would be premature to predict at this stage who our new prime minister may be, before any final decision is made in September.

'We are watching the situation at Westminster with keen interest, and look forward to gaining greater clarity on the national position in due course, so that we can start to move forward a number of key issues for the people of Hampshire - including ambitious devolution plans for a county deal for the pan-Hampshire area, as well as discussions on the future funding model needed to sustain vital local government services in future.'

The Conservative Councillors Association has organised a series of hustings for Sunak and Truss, which will be held over the coming weeks.

Hustings, which press and public cannot attend, will be live-streamed, and two televised debates will also take place.

The first will be on Monday, July 25 and hosted by the BBC, with Sky holding a second debate on August 4.