The financial markets steadied and the pound rallied as Rishi Sunak was announced as the next Prime Minister of the UK - Conservative MPs must now unite and rally behind our new PM in order to put the country first and to deliver for the public.

After the last few months of political turbulence and several years of Covid disruption, the country yearns for stability. 

It was clear that Liz Truss’ position had become untenable and I give her huge credit for recognising that and leaving swiftly rather than seeking to cling on as so many of her predecessors have done.

The new Prime Minister said this week, government must 'govern with professionalism and discipline'. He and his new Cabinet will be focused on just that.

Rishi Sunak has said he will put economic stability and confidence at the heart of this government’s agenda. We have already seen the cost of government borrowing starting to come down.

If the markets continue to have confidence in the government’s plans, that should ease the pressure on domestic interest rates and therefore people’s mortgage rates, although in the short-term they are still bound to go up as they are across the world.

People need the ability to plan, they want confidence back in the country and we have to tackle the cost of living crisis.

Rishi Sunak took bold action when needed to support the British people and protect the economy. He was Chancellor at one of the most difficult times the country has ever seen, where he delivered one of the most ambitious economic packages to protect jobs and businesses, even though I would have preferred to see the economy kept open instead of locked down.

While the opposition call for a General Election under the guise of legitimacy and stability for the country, it would provide the complete opposite.

It would lead to a further another period of instability and uncertainty, and from speaking to people across the constituency in recent weeks, what they are telling me is they want the next two years to be measured, disciplined and for the government to get on with the job and deliver the 2019 manifesto which won such a large majority for the Conservative Party.

I wish the new Prime Minister every success, and he will have my full support.