Hitchin reacts on social media to Rishi Sunak supporter Bim Afolami MP welcoming Liz Truss as new PM
By Layth Yousif
5th Sep 2022 | Local News
The votes have been counted and the United Kingdom has a new PM.
Liz Truss has won the Conservative leadership race to become Britain's next Prime Minister.
Truss defeated Tory opponent Rishi Sunak, winning 57.4% of Tory members' votes to the former chancellor's 42.6%, today, Monday, September 5.
The 47-year-old political chameleon - who was born into a left-wing family, before dallying with Liberal Democrats, prior to joining the Conservatives, voting to Remain in 2016, - takes over from disgraced former leader Boris Johnson, forced to resign back in July.
Since the, the Tories have embarked on a tortuous leadership battle to find Johnson's successor - with Hitchin's careerist MP Bim Afolami enthusiastically backing Sunak's for PM.
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.
However, with Truss' victory set to see here loyalists rewarded with key jobs, Hitchin's Parliamentarian now has to discard his previous backing for Sunak and reinvent himself as a Truss supporter.
Nub News spoke to a Westminster insider familiar with Mr Afolami's career, who admitted it would be hard for the Hitchin MP to be accepted back into the fold, saying: "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."
While Hitchin Liberal Democrats' Sam Collins slammed the new Tory leader by saying Truss is not fit to lead the nation and just another Boris Johnson loyalist.
In a further blow to Mr Afolami MP, still reeling from backing the wrong horse in losing candidate Sunak, a new study has also shown that if a General Election was held today, Hitchin would see the Liberal Democrats emerge triumphant, taking the seat from the Tories.
In the meantime, Mr Afolami has already started to ingratiate himself with Truss and her team, by tweeting after the results was announced.
Yet, many on social media were quick to hold Mr Afolami to task after his strident support for Sunak.
Here is a section of reactions to Mr Afolami's tweet welcoming Truss as PM.
Although, there was a tweet in support of Bim's new-found backing for Truss...
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