Wakefield and regional politicians and business heads react as Yorkshire Conservative MP Rishi Sunak becomes the new Prime Minister

Mr Sunak will become Britain's latest Prime Minister tomorrow after he won a leadership race for the Conservative Party against Penny Mourdant, who withdrew her bid at lunchtime on Monday, October 24 (today).

The Tory MP for Richmond in North Yorkshire will succeed Liz Truss who resigned from office last week after only 44 days.

Wakefield’s Labour MP Simon Lightwood, who won his seat in June after the city’s previous Conservative MP, Imran Ahmed Khan, was jailed for 18 months for child sexual assault, has called for a general election.

Mr Lightwood said: “Rishi Sunak has no mandate and no idea what working people in Wakefield, Horbury and Ossett need.

“We need a general election, so the public gets a say on the future of Britain – and the chance for a fresh start with Labour”.

Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin congratulated Mr Sunak on becoming Prime Minister but urged him to act immediately to invest in the North, particularly in rail services.

Ms Brabin said: “I must congratulate Rishi Sunak for becoming the first person of colour to become our Prime Minister - an important milestone for our brilliant and diverse nation.

“However, the jury is out on whether he’ll govern with compassion and support all parts of society including the most vulnerable.

“Rishi Sunak comes to power at a time when rail services across the North of England grind to a halt due to years of underinvestment, including when he was Chancellor.

“Therefore, he must act immediately to resolve this.

“My door is open should he want to ensure plans to fix the economy are delivered fairly for all parts of the country.

“But my message to the new Prime Minister is clear: we need a plan to save our economy, protect our households and rescue our public services.”

Martin Hathaway, managing director of Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “We hope that the appointment of Rishi will bring some stability to both the markets and business confidence going forward.

"Businesses need stability before they invest and let’s hope that the recent events have not caused any further confusion for the businesses in Yorkshire.”