Fay Jones believes that now is the time to “draw a line under everything that has gone before” and to focus on addressing the country’s problems.

The Brecon and Radnorshire MP was speaking following Rishi Sunak’s success in winning the leadership of the Conservative Party, consequently becoming the country’s new Prime Minister.

She said: “I’m pleased. I’ve backed Rishi Sunak since the very beginning.

“He’s someone who really gets rural areas and in particular rural Wales, so I’m really delighted to see him in the top job.”

Ms Jones greeted Mr Sunak with a kiss on the cheek as he returned to the Conservative Party HQ after the declaration of Monday’s result.

She said she would be urging him to give Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford a call - something Liz Truss never did.

She told the BBC: “A good relationship at the two ends of the M4 is what people in Wales want to see.

“They want to see the two governments delivering for them, so a positive relationship between Rishi and the First Minister would be great.”

Ms Jones is also hopeful that the country will now see an end to all the “drama and division” of recent times.

She said: “I was keen to see Rishi elected because I think he is the right person for our party and our country.

“From what I can gather this afternoon, there was a new sense of unity - a new sense of cohesion - from colleagues right across the country.

“I think this is a moment to draw a line under everything that has gone before and to focus on the country’s problems.”

She was also asked for her view on the fact that Mr Sunak is the UK’s third Prime Minister in three months without the country having had a say.

Ms Jones said: “Fortunately, we live in a parliamentary democracy, which means that the party which wins the most seats is able to form a government.

“That is the Conservative Party after we won that mandate in 2019. That’s the way the system works - I think that is the most important thing for us right now.”

Ms Jones said she will be pushing for more support to help people, especially those living off the main gas grid, to pay their energy bills.

She said: “It’s something I held a debate on last week. It’s something that I know Rishi Sunak gets and also the Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt.

“He knows rural areas really well, and so does the new Prime Minister. I’m really confident that this is something we’ll get some progress on now.”