BREAKING: The new leader of the Conservative Party has been announced - and it could spell bad news for Hitchin's MP.

With Liz Truss being announced as the Tory party's preferred candidate to take over from disgraced ousted former leader Boris Johnson to lead the country, our town's Parliamentarian could see his Westminster career path's upward trajectory stalled.

After being criticised for prevarication, following his delayed support for shamed former premier Johnson during the Partygate scandals, Bim Afolami MP came out strongly for leadership loser Rishi Sunak during the summer's tortuous campaign hustings to elect a new premier.

Afolami acted quickly following Johnson's defrocking on July 7, following countless scandals and his fixed penalty fine for holding a series of parties at No10 during the height of lockdown, when millions played by the rules. The Hitchin MP wasted no time in tweeting his support for Sunak a mere 48 hours later on July 9.

Throughout the summer, the official Twitter feed of Hitchin's MP and former investment banker, Mr Afolami has contained numerous exhortations of support for Sunak, who is married to the previously non-domiciled daughter of a billionaire industrialist.

However, Mr Afolami's gradual career progression up Westminster's greasy pole could be checked, as Truss assembles her team following her victory, including top spots and coveted roles for her loyalists, who backed her through the summer.

Despite seasoned political observers slamming Truss as shallow, chaotic and impulsive, the 47-year-old routed Sunak in the election contest, with the former banker seen as disloyal by many party members, for precipitating Johnson's fall by resigning.

Nub News spoke to a well-placed Westminster insider, familiar with Mr Afolami's Parliamentary career, who delivered this dismissing verdict: "Given Sunak completely trashed the economic policies put forward by Truss, it would be optimistic to think any of his supporters' stars will be on the rise after today's result."

Prologue

Mr Afolami made headlines, when back in July he sensationally quit his prominent party role live on internet TV, which contributed to the growing clamour for the shamed Johnson to step down - which the scandalised leader did 48 hours after the Hitchin MPs public attack.

Eton-educated Afolami, who had continually sided with Johnson over the course of his premiership - including the leadership vote and in an exclusive interview with Hitchin Nub News earlier this summer, sensationally reversed his position, as our town's Parliamentarian heaped pressure on beleaguered Johnson by resigning from his position as Tory party vice chair on Talk TV - deserting the then under-fire Conservative leader, saying the 58-year-old no longer had the support of the country.

Yet, after a rudderless summer of political campaigning in favour of the losing candidate, with Truss now the UK's fourth PM in the space of six years, as things stand, the future looks uncertain for Hitchin's Sunak supporter.

Results

Sir Graham Brady read out the results just after 1230pm as Truss became the UKs third female PM.

Votes from the Conservative party membership:

Liz Truss: 81,326

Rishi Sunak: 60,399

Electorate: 172,437

Turnout: 82.6%

Rejected ballot papers: 654

Mr Afolami has been contacted for comment by Hitchin Nub News. More to follow

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