At 1:30pm, October 20, Prime Minister Liz Truss resigned from Conservative leadership.
During her announcement on the BBC News livestream, the former Prime Minister Liz Truss said, “I cannot deliver the mandate on which I was elected by the Conservative Party.”
Following the resignation of Suella Braverman and controversy surrounding the fracking vote in the House of Commons on October 19, Truss has formally resigned from her position.
The former Home Secretary, Suella Braverman resigned over issues involving data leaks and the immigration policy, making room for Grant Shapps to fill her position.
Leeds Conservative Councillor and Chair of Scrutiny Board, Barry Anderson, has been closely following the ongoing events of the Conservative Party.
He said, in regard to the Braverman’s resignation, “I am disappointed that she needed to resign, I feel that she is going to be missed and that there will be instability within the Conservative Party as a result. “
“The public are confused. The party they voted for is not the same party, “They need leadership through this difficult time, and the Labour Party may not be ready to take on the current situation”.
When considering the impact of the resignation of the Prime Minister, Councillor Anderson said, “As a local councillor, it does have an effect on your vote,” “people will say ‘I like you, but I can’t vote for you because of your party’.”
The impact of this political change will put in place problems for the smaller local governments and the communities in their target areas.
Councillor Anderson said, “The recent events are hitting local government bases as residents attempt to send a message or change and make an impact on the main party”, “local councillors and residents will suffer”.
The fracking vote remains at the forefront of the political concerns.
The Labour incentive to enforce the fracking vote has been overturned, which has been suggested to be a result of coercive behaviour within the House of Commons.
Chris Byrne, politics lecturer at Leeds Beckett University said, “The scenes in the Commons last night were extraordinary, and a reflection of Conservative Party discipline breaking down almost completely.”
There will be a Conservative election in the upcoming week.
