The UK welcomes in a new Prime Minister this week. Conservatives are pinning their hopes on newly-elected British PM, Liz Truss, to succeed where Boris Johnson could not.
Known for tax cuts and free trading, Foreign Secretary, Liz Truss is the UK’s (latest) incoming Prime Minister. As the new PM, Truss will jump straight into the immediate challenge of organising a package to support households across the country over the current cost of living crisis driven by climbing energy bills.
Presently, the new PM will be flying to Balmoral Castle in Scotland at 12:10pm, local time (1110 GMT) on Tuesday (September 6), where she will be formally appointed by Queen Elizabeth as the country’s next PM.
Here is the lowdown on incoming PM, Liz Truss, as we know it:
- Truss is a 47-year-old Conservative. She has been an MP for 12 years, and a Cabinet minister for eight, serving under three prime ministers.
- She is the third prime minister in three years.
- Truss replaces Boris Johnson, who leaves office Tuesday.
- She won 57% of votes from 172,000 Conservative Party activists (less than 1% of the UK population).
- Married to accountant, Hugh O’Leary, with whom she has two daughters.
- Models herself on former PM, Margaret Thatcher.
Truss has:
- Developed a 10-year plan for the economy.
- Encouraged workers back into offices.
- Committed to introducing no new taxes.
- Reviewed taxation of families and carers.
- Resisted a cashless society.
The new PM’s acceptance speech was short and sweet. Truss said it was an “honour to be elected,” thanking her party for organising “one of the longest job interviews in history.” She continued, “during this leadership campaign, I campaigned as a conservative, and I will govern as a Conservative,” pledging to “deliver a bold plan to cut taxes and grow our economy. I will deliver on the energy crisis, dealing with people’s energy bills, but also dealing with the long terms issues we have on energy supply.” She added, “and I will deliver in National Health Service.”
Thanking outgoing PM, Boris Johnson, Truss stated, “I also want to thank our outgoing leader, my friend, Boris Johnson. Boris, you got Brexit done. You crushed Jeremy Corbyn. You rolled out the vaccine, and you stood up to Vladimir Putin. You are admired from [Kyiv] to Carlisle.”
Boris Johnson commended Truss on her “decisive win,” adding, “I know she has the right plan to tackle the cost of living crisis, unite our party and continue the great work of uniting and levelling up our country. Now is the time for all Conservatives to get behind her 100 per cent.”
Watch the PM’s concise acceptance speech below.
