A general election is needed now, says an opposition councillor.

Prime Minister Liz Truss announced last week that she would be stepping down as leader of the Conservative Party.

The Liberal Democrat's parliamentary spokesperson for the Cotswolds, Paul Hodgkinson, has slammed the Tories and demanded that a general election be held.

Mr Hodgkinson, Gloucestershire county councillor for Bourton and Northleach, said: "We now have the prospect of five different Prime Ministers in six years.

"Our country has been reduced to a laughing stock by the Conservative Party who have shown themselves to be incapable of governing.

"We need a total clear out and a General Election now so that the people choose who they want to run Britain.

"No other option is democratic or fair.

"We deserve so much better."

Tory leadership contest: How the week will unfold

Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 Committee of Tory backbenchers, said the election process will be concluded by October 28 so the new leader is in place in time for a crucial financial statement on October 31.

The parliamentary stage of the Tory leadership contest will conclude today, Monday October 24.

Candidates will need a minimum of 100 colleagues nominating them to proceed to the ballot, meaning there will be a maximum of three candidates on the ballot paper for MPs to vote on.

If there are three, the candidate with the fewest number of votes after the first ballot will be eliminated, with the result announced at 6pm.

Then, in a change in procedure since the last leadership contest, there will be an “indicative” vote once only two candidates are left.

This will be held between 6.30pm and 8.30pm on Monday, with the result announced at 9pm.

The hope is perhaps that the loser of the “indicative” vote may drop out of the race, in which case a new leader emerges without the involvement of Tory party members.

The MP for the Cotswolds, Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, has been contacted multiple times for his thoughts on the PM's resignation and Conservative Party leadership race but at the time of writing has not yet responded.