TENDRING'S MPs have reacted following the resignation of Liz Truss as Prime Minister.

Ms Truss has stepped down from the position after just under two months in post.

Announcing her resignation, the Prime Minister said: "I recognise I cannot deliver the mandate on which I was elected by the Conservative Party."

Harwich and North Essex MP Sir Bernard Jenkin said: "I'm still digesting the implications of this.

"Liz obviously made some terrible mistakes from which she has concluded she cannot recover.

"I very much hope we can decide on a new leader and Prime Minister as quickly as possible."

When asked whether the Conservative Party's membership should vote on the next party leader, Sir Bernard said the members should be consulted as widely as possible but that they would accept that a leader needs to be appointed as quickly as possible.

Neil Stock, leader of Tory-run Tendring Council, said: "I'm very surprised - I was out of the country for a couple of weeks and when I came back it was all kicking off.

"I didn't vote for her but I don't know what she did that was quite so terrible except the crime of not having the support of the Conservative MPs.

"Being Prime Minister is a massive undertaking, particularly with the situation with the economy.

"I have spoken to my Conservative colleagues and they have shared the frustration and disappointment of the country - to put it mildly.

"We are councillors and party members, but we are also residents and are worried about energy bills and the cost-of-living."

He added that the way the party picked its leader is "fundamentally flawed" and that MPs need to have confidence in their leader - rather than allowing the party membership to decide.

"I think they have got to change the rules - if it's just a rerun of the last election contest, we'll be in the same situation."

He added that Tory candidates have been put in a "terrible" position to fight next year's local election at a time when Tendring Council's Conservatives were hoping to gain a majority.

"That's a bit optimistic now," he added.

Clacton MP Giles Watling had not responded at the time of going to press.

Speaking outside 10 Downing Street, Liz Truss said: "I am resigning as leader of the Conservative Party. There will be a leadership election to be completed within the next week.

"I will remain as Prime Minister until a successor has been chosen."

Her resignation comes after weeks of chaos following a disastrous mini-budget which plunged the economy into turmoil.

The financial plans, announced by then Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng, including £45m of unfunded tax cuts, causing the value of Sterling to plunge in comparison to the US Dollar.

U-turns followed with Truss and Kwarteng ditching plans for tax cuts for the richest, before Mr Kwarteng was forced to resign as Chancellor.

He was replaced by Jeremy Hunt, who continued to abandon Truss’ plans, including reversing the decision to scrap the planned corporation tax rise and scrapping plans to reduce the basic rate of income tax from 20% to 19%.

Then on Wednesday, Home Secretary Suella Braverman resigned, leaving what appeared to be a pointed message at Ms Truss in her resignation letter.

Ms Braverman said: “Pretending we haven’t made mistakes, carrying on as if everyone can’t see that we have made them, and hoping that things will magically come right is not serious politics.

“I have made a mistake; I accept responsibility; I resign.”

Confusion ensued on the same day over whether a vote on fracking was a confidence vote or not, with more than 30 Tory MPs not voting with the Government.

All the while reports continued that Graham Brady, chair of the 1922 committee, was receiving letters of no confidence in Ms Truss from Tory backbenchers.

Following a meeting with Mr Brady at lunchtime, Ms Truss announced her resignation this afternoon.