She came, she saw, she bolted.

PM Liz Truss was back in the county this lunchtime for the second time in a week.

But although Kent-based photo ops seem to be in vogue, speaking to local media and people are certainly not.

The top Tory visited the British Gas Academy near the Dartford Crossing to chat about energy costs and the government's reaction to them.

Meanwhile, although the town centre is just three miles away, it might as well as been a million judging by the reaction from residents and traders.

Away from the slick presentation, obligatory high-viz vests and tired soundbites, a different narrative has taken hold and it's not good news for the beleaguered premier.

Eddie Williams, who has run Evergreen Dry Cleaners in Hythe Street for 32 years, fears this may be his last year even with help from the government.

He said: “The "mini-budget" announcement last Friday was complete rubbish. Energy prices are going to increase and Liz Truss has just favoured the rich and big companies over small businesses.

“I pay around £300 a month on electricity and now I’ve been told it can be anywhere around £1,000 a month. It’s a nightmare for places like us.

“Not to mention the general cost of living and how everyone is being affected. I’ve had suits waiting in the line for six months because people can’t afford to come in and pay £20 to pick it up.

“It’s going to get worse as well. Everywhere will be thinking about shutting. It’s like putting oil on a stick – we can’t hold on.”

Former soldier Brian Bax, 84, was equally unimpressed, saying: “I’m disgusted by the budget and Liz Truss.

“It’s been all for the rich and doesn’t give anyone a chance. The pound is dropping and things are getting more expensive.

“How are people going to pay for their homes? We’re lucky as we’re pensioners and have paid our mortgage off but it’s so unfair on the younger generation.”

His wife Maureen, 80, agreed: “I’m worried about it all, especially with the general cost of living going up.

“It doesn’t affect Liz Truss so she doesn’t care, it helps out the rich more than anyone.”

Brenda Willbourne fumed: “The country is going down hill. If I could see her today I would tell her to resign immediately. She’s given the country a hell of a problem but she doesn’t care.”

Former carer Vee Duffield, who has lived in the town for 26 years, said: “I get no help from benefits and just £520 a month from my pension, so how am I going to survive with everything going up?

“I have no faith in her whatsoever and I’d tell her to help those who need it – the ones with low income who are struggling already – rather than the rich.

“People really will have to choose between heating or eating and that’s the grim reality of it.”

Sue Hunt – a town resident for 50 years – wasn’t critical of the budget, just how and when it was delivered.

The former Co-op worker said: “It was the right idea at the wrong time. She’s trying to bring business into the country, but I have my doubts about it all. We’re a poorly-governed country. I would tell her to do a U-turn.”

Valerie Hall said: “We should never have got rid of Boris Johnson. Yes, he was a bit of a buffoon. But he got things done."

This sense of unhappiness caps off a miserable week for the Tories and Ms Truss after the economy was plunged into turmoil following the "mini budget" debacle, reports political editor Paul Francis.

It's unsurprising therefore a clutch of opinion polls show Labour stretching its lead – with one by YouGov putting Sir Keir Starmer's party ahead by 33%.

Even Sir Tony Blair did not reach such dizzying heights at the peak of his popularity.

Of course, opinion polls are only a snapshot of a moment in time.

But on paper, this one suggests Kent's Tories would face a near electoral wipeout on a par with 1997, when the unthinkable happened and Labour won eight seats in the county.

Only Sevenoaks and Tonbridge and Malling would remain Conservative.

Amid fears of mortgage rates rising, spiralling energy bills and possible cuts in public spending, voters aren't just unhappy, they're worried and angry – never a good mix for a government, especially one which has been in power for a long time.

If the poll was replicated in a general election, Labour would win 498 seats – gaining 296.

The Tories, meanwhile, would slide to just 61 seats, giving Labour a majority of 346.

But taking a breath, in reality would Kent’s blue wall crumble in the face of a reinvigorated Labour party?

As stated, it is highly unlikely rock solid seats like Sevenoaks and Tonbridge and Malling – where former leadership contender Tom Tugendhat secured a majority of 26,941 – will fall, but what about others?

In the three Medway seats, the Conservatives were comfortably ahead in 2019: in Chatham and Aylesford, Tracey Crouch saw her majority increase to 18,540 – with a 9% increase in voters.

In 2019, the Tory share of the vote across Kent as a whole was 60% – up 3.7% – compared to Labour’s 25% – down 6.6%.

But the political landscape in 2022 is different to 2019 – notably because in 2019, the big issue for many was Brexit and there is no doubt that benefited the Conservatives and was a political millstone round Labour’s neck.

So, what are Labour’s real prospects in Kent at the next election and could it repeat the success it had under Tony Blair in 1997?

It is hard to conceive it doing as well as it did 25 years ago but it is making no secret that one target will be Dover, where it has to overturn a majority of 12,278.

As to the party leaders, Sir Keir Starmer has not quite shaken off the image that is somewhat boring but has a much greater authority in tone.

Liz Truss on the other hand has had a calamitous start to her tenure and if things get worse, could become the next Iain Duncan Smith and be dumped.

Polls always come with caveats but they do underline the dissatisfaction of voters at the way the government has handled the economic crisis.

Anyway, back in Dartford the PM's motorcade swept into the British Gas premises at around 12.40pm but KentOnline wasn't allowed in.

We asked Downing Street first thing this morning whether we could get access to the hour-long event, but didn't get a response.

Last week when Ms Truss and the Chancellor visited Ebbsfleet they weren't keen on letting us in either.

The next best thing was to speak to local MP Gareth Johnson about the visit and his constituents' concerns.

Unfortunately, the emailed response didn't address the things we believe readers wanted to know.