Wigan borough's Conservative MPs have their say on who should become next Prime Minister

Chris Green, whose Bolton West constituency includes Atherton, has given his support to Tom Tugendhat in the race to become leader of the Conservative party.

It follows the resignation of current Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who will remain in the position until his successor is announced on September 5.

Mr Green said: “I am backing Tom Tugendhat to be the next Prime Minister of the United Kingdom because we need a clean break from what has become an increasingly toxic political environment.

“As a former solider and current chairman of the foreign affairs select committee, Tom has always had to display courage and fortitude, which are exactly the right qualities our new Prime Minister now needs.”

Leigh MP James Grundy says he does not yet know who will receive his backing in the leadership battle.

He said: “I have not yet decided who I will vote for in the leadership election, but I will be guided by what my constituents think.

“I was struck by how many people had sympathy for Boris at the events I attended over the last weekend. The phrase, 'he's only human' came up a lot. The general consensus was that Boris had to deal with the worst set of events together since Winston Churchill, and that he had made a fair go of it.

"Boris made sure towns like Leigh were put on the map. Whoever takes over must ensure our voices continue to matter. Leigh deserves nothing less.“