A self-described former “member of the Turnip Taliban” in Liz Truss’ constituency has said he is “absolutely furious” with Conservative MPs after the prime minister announced her resignation.

Roy Brame, a Tory councillor in Thetford, voted against Ms Truss becoming the Conservative candidate for the safe seat of South West Norfolk in 2009, but later supported her.

The 68-year-old said he voted against her at the time because “she was not local” but conceded that she has been an “excellent MP for the area”.

Eastern Daily Press: Liz Truss making a statement outside 10 Downing Street, London, where she announced her resignation as prime ministerLiz Truss making a statement outside 10 Downing Street, London, where she announced her resignation as prime minister (Image: PA Wire/PA Images)

Members of Ms Truss’ local Tory association had voted against her after she made it on to David Cameron’s A-list of priority candidates and was parachuted into the constituency.

Her candidacy narrowly survived the attempt by traditionalist members of the local association – nicknamed the “Turnip Taliban” over their conservative views and the local agricultural produce – to deselect her in 2009 after it emerged she had had an affair with married Conservative MP Mark Field.

She entered Parliament the following year after winning South West Norfolk in the 2010 general election by a comfortable majority of more than 13,000 votes.

Mr Brame said he “was a member of the Turnip Taliban” but later praised her and said she has been an “excellent MP for the area”.

Asked about Ms Truss’ resignation on Thursday, Mr Brame said: “I am absolutely furious and astounded with the Conservative MPs.

“We were given as a party, from them, two people who we could be part of and we could vote for. They didn’t like the result.

"I’ve always been a democrat. I didn’t vote for Liz Truss to be the constituency MP. But when the constituency voted for her I sucked it up and supported her. Why didn’t the MPs?

“Why do they want to cause all this? They keep talking about turkeys voting for Christmas. They’ve just made themselves look really silly again.

“If they all stood behind what the party elected, we wouldn’t have had this problem, simple as that.”

Mr Brame, who ran an electrical shop before his retirement, said the situation makes him “wonder what’s happening to democracy”.

“Everybody keeps saying she wasn’t elected democratically, but they forget she was only ever elected to be the leader of the Conservative Party,” he said.

“The fact she was the prime minister just happened because we are in power – not for much longer by the way these MPs are behaving.”

Eastern Daily Press: Chairman of the 1922 Committee of backbench Conservatives Sir Graham Brady makes a statement outside the Houses of Parliament, London, after Liz Truss announced her resignation as prime ministerChairman of the 1922 Committee of backbench Conservatives Sir Graham Brady makes a statement outside the Houses of Parliament, London, after Liz Truss announced her resignation as prime minister (Image: PA Wire/PA Images)

Asked about the prospect of a fresh leadership election, Mr Brame said: “Why should I be optimistic? I’m not going to get a vote, am I?

“They’re (MPs) going to do it. You’re either a member of a party and you represent that party, or you’re not.

“They might just as well be a load of bloody independents, because that’s the way they’re behaving.

“So let them vote for a leader, if they can, and then just go that way. It’s ridiculous.”