Voters in Shrewsbury give their opinions on Liz Truss and the economy

Unnervingly perhaps for politics as a whole most people the Shropshire Star spoke to out in the streets of central Shrewsbury on Monday afternoon wanted nothing to do with talking about politics.

And those that did want to express an opinion were split between giving Prime Minister Liz Truss more time to bring stability back around the cabinet table, and wanting to see the back of her.

Jo Bannerman, from Picklescott, is in the process of selling her house and higher interest rates aren't helping the market.

And even though she wonders why the Government hasn't been able to do "what other countries have done" and keep support for energy prices for longer, she thinks Liz Truss hasn't had enough time in the top job.

"They should get behind her fully and don't just throw it all up in the air," she said. "Brexit hasn't helped the situation."

Jacqui Cox, from Pontesbury, said: "I can't understand why the standing charge has gone up, I don't understand that.

"But we are from the war generation and will have to cut something out. We can cut back and have lentil soup but it is the young people with mortgages I am concerned for."

Mrs Chris Hulme, a Lib Dem / Green voter from Shrewsbury, thinks Ms Truss should go but does not know how that will come about.

"Conservative members voted for her and they knew what they were doing," said Mrs Hulme. "Rishi Sunak said what would happen all along."

Mrs Hulme doesn't think there will be an immediate General Election - but there is one due in 18 months anyway in 2024. "They are not going to call one now," she said.

Mrs Hulme used to live in North Shropshire and once voted for Tory John Biffen, who she called a nice man, but now is a committed anti-Conservative.

She wants to bring an end to the threat of fracking and to introduce more Green policies.

Labour parish councillor Stephen Handley, 65, from St George's in Telford, perhaps unsurprisingly thinks that the Prime Minister should go.

"We've had nearly the shortest serving Chancellor and I think we will be getting the shortest serving Prime Minister, too," he said. "She hasn't done too well with anything and she hasn't been there very long.

"I feel sorry for people with mortgages," he said. "But with energy prices I'm from Yorkshire and we are good at saving money.

"I have seen my energy bills rise from £80 to £100 which I can cope but it won't stop there. I have just put the heating on."

Mr Handley says he has a reputation for being "tight" with money as a strict holder of the purse strings at the Belmont Community Hall in Wellington.

"I have a reputation as the tightest treasurer," said Mr Handley. "I don't want to give away anything."

He added that he is "disgusted with the way they have been handling the government finances."

Mortgage advisor Sam Hill, 26, from Montford Bridge, near Shrewsbury, has seen the effects of uncertainty in the market with hundreds of pounds being added on to new mortgage deals.

Mr Hill says some of the situation hasn't been helped by reports in the media about "one company's decision to withdraw products overnight."

But he admits he has seen evidence of people "panicking" because of mortgage deals of three or four percent about the Bank of England base rate.

But he hopes that markets have begun to calm down since new Chancellor Jeremy Hunt's statement on Monday.

He said he thought it was time for a change of Government but "does not think it is going to happen.

"She's going to have to go and I think she should go," said Mr Hill. "She's going down a road that she doesn't really believe in."

Tourists Helen Taylor from Leicestershire and Michele Litherland, from the Wirrall, agreed that politics has all been a bit of a circus.

"I don't think Liz Truss leaving the job would make things any more unstable, said Helen. "But it is such a circus that I don't watch the TV any more, it just causes arguments."

Michele Litherland, from the Wirrall, said: "It's a bit of a mess.

"The whole proposal to drop the 45p tax rate for the higher earners disgusted me. As far as possible instability is concerned it can't be any worse than it is now."