‘Embarrassment on the world stage’: five voters on Truss’s resignation

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Liz Truss has resigned as prime minister and will be replaced within a week after an emergency leadership content, she has announced. Labour is calling for an immediate general election, with Keir Starmer saying the Conservative party “no longer has a mandate to govern”.

Five voters share their reaction to the resignation and their hopes for what will come next.

‘We need a general election’

I felt pure schadenfreude seeing Liz Truss resign – she’s been trying to be prime minister for so long and it all turned to dust in 45 days.

The Conservative party has been so drained of talent that any cabinet they can assemble now will disintegrate anyway, all the serious people have been driven out. I wouldn’t leave them in charge of running a bath.

There have been rumblings about Johnson coming back. He cannot be allowed to resume power; he was ousted for a reason, and for him to weasel his way back would be an affront to democracy.

We need a general election. The Conservative party has demonstrated repeatedly that it is not fit to govern. John Hood, 39, Stevenage, clinical pharmacologist – Labour supporter

‘Frustration, fear and fury’

Joy, frustration, fear and fury at the state of the Conservative party and our country under their inept rule. Disbelief that they are able to cling to power and after all this are allowed to put in yet another “leader”.

I am worried about my rent, my bills, my daughters’ bills and housing situations as they are both students. I’m worried about how we are going to pay for food and if our landlord will keep renting to us or how we would find guarantors if we had to move. I am worried about universal credit and benefits being cut or stagnant. I’m worried about surviving for another two years. It feels like we are being held hostage to tyrants. Elizabeth, 51, foster carer, London – supports Labour and Greens

‘I will never vote for the Tories again’

The whole debacle since the party removal of Boris has totally saddened me. I always thought that the Conservatives were the party of integrity. Sadly not. I’ve always voted Conservative [but] I will never vote for them again and will seek out a minority party to support in the future.

I am not interested one jot in the Conservatives going forward. A general election now must be imminent and I hope they get a resounding thumping. My concern is for the future of young people. Len Harris, 77, retired engineer, Redditch – former Conservative supporter

‘Our country is an embarrassment on the world stage’

It was momentarily amusing but overall just depressing. In 12 years the Conservatives have run this country into the ground, devastating the lives of the working class with little to no regard for anyone but themselves because they simply have no perspective of what it’s like to be an ordinary hardworking person.

We’ve now had four prime ministers, each one has resigned for one reason or another but usually because they find themselves incapable of doing the job required of them. And now we’re going to have another unelected prime minister installed into government without the express permission of this country’s people which I find to be an affront to our democratic values.

It is embarrassing that this keeps happening and yet the Conservatives still seem to have support. Our country is an embarrassment on the world stage and when this happens again we’ll be the new definition of circus in the Oxford dictionary. Martin Bodger, 31, Edinburgh, graphic designer and illustrator – SNP supporter

‘It’s hard for anyone to lead this divided country’

How could she go on? No credibility or authority left. I feel relieved but also anxious about what’s next.

Time travel back to 2016 and change the vote that is the basis of all the political turmoil and chaos we are experiencing now, and don’t let a Tory membership vote for leader again. Prevent Boris Johnson from standing in any leadership contest. Bring in Sunak (who should, no doubt, have won the leadership contest in the summer) to restore some credibility (for the UK and British politics) and stability (hopefully).

Turmoil, chaos, bad decisions and U-turns seem to have become de rigueur. As an individual I feel I have no control over our direction. The demise of one-nation Tories while rightwing thinktanks, climate change naysayers and super wealthy seem to be pulling the strings. Do I sound like a conspiracy-theorist? Possibly – but this is a new position (for me) and one borne out by complete lack of hope of a better future. It’s hard for anyone to lead this very divided, polarised country now. Jane, 63, retired, north Surrey – supports no political party