Thousands in Shropshire sign petition calling for general election

The call comes as the fallout from Prime Minister Liz Truss's catastrophic 'mini-budget' continues, with the Government having scrapped the majority of the measures contained in the plan – although a proposal to remove the cap on bankers' bonuses survived the new Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt's rescue measures.

The have been public calls from a small number of Conservative MPs for their own Prime Minister to step down – just weeks after she took the job.

But Mrs Truss has rejected those calls, and has insisted she will lead the Tory Party into the next general election.

A petition on the Parliament website calling for a general election has reached more than 630,000 signatures – with 5,549 across Shropshire and Mid Wales.

The petition asks for "an immediate general election to end the chaos of the current government".

It lists the war in Ukraine, problems with the Northern Ireland protocol, looming recession and renewed calls for Scottish independence as among "the greatest set of challenges we have seen in our lifetimes".

"Let the people decide who leads us through this turmoil," the petition concludes.

The signatories include 1,338 people from Shrewsbury & Atcham, 1,053 from North Shropshire, 877 from Ludlow, 792 from The Wrekin, 844 from Telford, and 645 from Montgomeryshire.

North Shropshire Lib Dem MP Helen Morgan called for a general election in the wake of the chancellor's statement, saying "enough is enough".

The three largest opposition parties in Westminster – Labour, the Scottish National Party, and the Liberal Democrats – all called for a general election last week, in response to the economic problems brought on by the mini-budget.

Sir Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats, said the Prime Minister had "trashed the British economy" and "humiliated the Conservative Government in the eyes of the world".

“People are angry, they are fed up, and they’re worried about the future, but above all, they are furious with this Conservative Party, so I think it’s time they had their say – it’s time for a general election,” he said.

At 632,188 signatures and counting, it is currently the most signed open petition on the Parliament website.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer also heaped scorn on Ms Truss's Government, calling the events of the last month "grotesque chaos".

He laid the blame squarely on the Conservative Party for surging mortgage rates and pensions dropping in value.