FOLLOWING Prime Minister Liz Truss’s resignation, the Conservative MP for Poole Sir Robert Syms, said he was pleased as ‘things clearly weren’t working’.

He is looking forward to a quick leadership contest and doesn’t believe the country needs a general election now as Parliament is elected for a five year term.

Speaking about the Prime Minister’s resignation, he said: “I'm pleased because clearly things weren't working and over the last four or five weeks, the Downing Street operation, coordinating with the whips and everything else didn't seem to get into its stride.

“You give somebody a chance and there comes a point when you feel that things aren't going to get together.

“And I think yesterday, with several things happening, just showed that the Prime Minister wasn't on top of the situation. I think she now accepts that, so I'm glad that she's made the decision she has so that we can select a successor and move on.”

When asked who he would like to replace the PM, he said: “My guess is there will only be a few candidates because I think there is an appetite for people to get on and select somebody who's popular, rather than somebody that just wants to put their hat in the ring because they think they might be a minister.

“I think Rishi Sunak is a strong contender, I think Penny Mordaunt is a strong contender, possibly Ben Wallace, but I would only expect two or three, to come forward and hopefully just have two or three ballots and then we can try and get on with the job of government.”

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Mr Syms doesn’t believe that holding a general election is currently in the country’s best interests.

He said: “You elect Parliament for five years, plus a general election campaign and so we could go until January, 2025.

“We're only halfway through the term and we're a parliamentary democracy and you elect people in parliament to make decisions.

“In two years time, things may be very different. The government currently has a majority and if there was a general election we could end up in a situation. where we have quite a weak government trying to deal with some of the issues that are floating around.

“So, at the end of the day, people get their chance to make a decision about whether a party should be in power and they do that at the end of four or five years.

“I don't think the last month will have helped us in terms of our appeal at the next election and certainly some of the turbulence with Boris Johnson. But, if people feel disappointed, then they will have the opportunity to vote us out in two years.

“I'm just pleased that everybody wants a quick contest rather than it going on for several weeks and I think that's probably the best.

“I've been critical of Liz Truss, but I think it's quite brave when you’re in Number 10, to suddenly decide yourself that you're going to leave in a clean way.

“She could have demanded a ballot of the parliamentary party and delayed things but I think she's accepted the inevitable and, therefore I thought her statement was dignified and I wish her success in the future.”