Sarah Palin’s sudden decision to quit as governor of Alaska stunned fellow Republicans and fuelled the sense of disarray surrounding the Grand Old Party as it struggles to regroup following last year’s devastating election defeat.

“It is astounding,” Republican Senator Chuck Grassley told CBS’s Face the Nation on Sunday. Bill Kristol, a Republican intellectual and long-time champion of Ms Palin, told ABC’s This Week: “It is a real surprise.” The Republican Governors’ Association said: “We regret the news announced by Governor Palin”.