By Anna Whittaker, Local Democracy Reporter
Rushcliffe’s Conservative MP Ruth Edwards has called for the Prime Minister to resign “immediately”.
Liz Truss has faced a chaotic few weeks as leader of the Conservative party after the mini-budget was implemented then withdrawn almost in its entirety earlier this week.
On October 19, Tories said a vote on fracking would be a “confidence motion” – warning MPs they could face expulsion from the party if they did not vote for the controversial policy.
Ruth Edwards MP said “chaos descended” after it became unclear whether the vote was a confidence motion or not.
She told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “My view is that the Prime Minister should resign immediately.
“I submitted a letter of no confidence to Graham Brady on Monday.
“I don’t remember seeing anything like this in my entire lifetime.
“We have had political and economic incompetence, I would be very concerned about letting that continue.
“Last night will have been the straw that broke the camel’s back for many people.”
She said the “majority” of MPs she had spoken to believed Truss should stand down.
She added: “MPs were basically misled about the terms of the vote.
“We were told all day that it would be a confidence vote, meaning if I abstained or voted against, I would lose the whip and no longer be a Conservative MP.
“My constituents have every right to expect me to continue as a Conservative MP until the next election.
“On that basis, I said I would vote with the Government but I made my views on fracking very clear in the chamber.”
She said the Minister then said it wasn’t a confidence vote.
Ruth Edwards added: “That caused mass confusion.
“I asked him to clarify whether it was a confidence vote or not, and he didn’t, and that’s when the chaos descended.
“I walked up to the Chief Whip and asked her whether it was a confidence vote, she said to me, I don’t have to speak to you, I have resigned, and she stormed off.
“Trust is broken with the parliamentary party.
“She [Truss] fundamentally can’t carry on.
“People were incredibly upset, and rightly so. To be treated like that by the leadership of their party is terrible.”
She said she did not believe there should now be a General Election.
