A Conservative voter of over 40 years has cancelled her Party membership following the news that Rishi Sunak is set to become the next Prime Minister, describing his rise to power as “insidious”.

Lyn Bond, a 60-year-old retired nurse from Bishop Auckland in County Durham, has voted for the Tories since she was 18 but said on Monday (October 24) that she will not do so at the next general election.

“The whole thing is rather sad because, for a party that had such a wonderful win in 2019, it has been destroyed from within,” Ms Bond told the PA news agency.

Read more: Rishi Sunak issues statement to nation as he is declared next UK Prime Minister

“I can’t bring myself after 40 years to support them anymore, I don’t trust them… (Party members) don’t know what’s going on behind the scenes – it is very unsettling.

“(It is) is insidious the way they’ve got Rishi Sunak in, they wanted him in, and he’s in… The truth of the matter is this country is going to suffer.

“I feel awash on a boat in the ocean not knowing where to go, what to do… I’ve never doubted what I voted for, ever, until today.”

In his first speech since it was announced he would become the new PM, Rishi Sunak warned his warring MPs the Conservatives must “unite or die” after he completed a spectacular political comeback to win the race to be the next prime minister.

The former chancellor ruled out opposition demands for a general election after he won the Tory leadership race on Monday when rival Penny Mordaunt failed to win the backing of MPs.

Liz Truss, who will make way for Mr Sunak less than two months after she beat him in the last contest, congratulated her soon-to-be-successor and told him “you have my full support”.

With his victory coming on Diwali, Mr Sunak will be the UK’s first Hindu prime minister, the first of Asian heritage, and the youngest for more than 200 years at the age of 42.

He will be formally appointed to the role in a handover of power overseen by the King within the coming days, as discussions take place between Ms Truss and Mr Sunak about the timing.

Ms Mordaunt, the Commons Leader, bowed out of the race as she failed to get the 100 nominations from Tory MPs required by the 2pm deadline.

With Boris Johnson having ditched his own bid at a comeback, Mr Sunak will enter No 10 unopposed and avoid an online ballot of the Conservative members that rejected him for Ms Truss last month.

Mr Sunak sought to hit the ground running by addressing Conservative MPs behind closed doors in the House of Commons half an hour after his victory was announced.

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