
He quit the party last year over former Prime Minister Boris Johnson's handling of Brexit's Northern Ireland Protocol. Mr Lomas said: "We ended up with a Secretary of State who was the second, third or fourth choice."Īlan Dunlop is a former chair of the NI Conservatives. When he asked if she would pick "another fly-in, fly-out, absentee political landlord", she pledged her choice would be the "absolute best at delivering for the people of Northern Ireland".Ĭhris Heaton-Harris was later appointed following claims the new Prime Minister had been "struggling" to fill the post. Mr Lomas, who backed Mr Sunak in the leadership race, said he was disappointed with Ms Truss' response to his question at a Northern Ireland hustings about appointing a new Secretary of State. I think this will rattle a few people, but it's too early to tell to be honest," he added. "I think there's a few nervous people about.

Roger Lomas, centre, with Prime Minister Liz Truss and former Prime Minister David Cameron The former election candidate from outside Omagh said that "the proof will be in whether it works" in achieving Downing Street's aim of boosting the economy. He expressed concern over it "coming across as it being for the very rich". On the government's contentious mini-budget, Mr Lomas said he had "very mixed feelings about it".

Read more: Liz Truss: Seven challenges in Northern Ireland facing the new Prime Minister Labour was catapulted to a 33-point lead over the Conservatives in a YouGov poll, which would see the Tories wiped out across swathes of Britain if replicated in a Westminster election. Her government's £45billion tax-cutting package plunged the pound to historic lows and forced the Bank of England to intervene to calm the markets. It has been a baptism of fire for Liz Truss in her first few weeks as Prime Minister.
