Truss - New UK Prime Minister

[Stephen]

https://www.itv.com/news/2022-09-05/...ory-over-sunak

Liz Truss will become the UK's next prime minister after storming to victory over opponent Rishi Sunak in the Tory leadership race.

The foreign secretary won 57% of the votes with 81,326, while the former chancellor secured 43% with 60,399.

Ms Truss will replace Boris Johnson on Tuesday when the Queen formally asks her to form a government at her Balmoral residence in Scotland in a historic first.

She will become the UK's third ever female prime minister, following in the footsteps of her avowed political idol Margaret Thatcher, and Theresa May.

The foreign secretary - the clear frontrunner for much of the five-week contest - now faces one of the most challenging in-trays of any British peacetime leader.

Pressure has been mounting to reveal how she will tackle the soaring cost of living, spiralling energy bills, the highest inflation rates since the 1980s, an NHS and criminal justice system in crisis - and deepening tensions abroad amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Speaking on the eve of the leadership announcement, Ms Truss vowed to act on soaring energy costs within a week if she was chosen to lead the party, after facing weeks of criticism for failing to outline any plans of support for struggling families and businesses.

After the result was read out, a beaming Ms Truss was filmed walking past Rishi Sunak without shaking his hand as she took the state to accept the mantle of the next leader of the Tory party.

In her victory speech she thanked Tory members for putting their "faith" in her to lead the "greatest political party on earth" and promised to take immediate action over energy bills.

She also took a moment to pay homage to her predecessor and "my friend" Mr Johnson, who she said was "admired from Kyiv to Carlisle".

"Boris, you got Brexit done, you crushed Jeremy Corbyn, you rolled out the vaccine and you stood up to Vladimir Putin," she continued, to delayed applause from the audience.

She told the crowd before receiving a standing ovation: “I will 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-term issues we have on energy supply.”

Leader of the opposition Sir Keir Starmer congratulated Ms Truss but in the same breath slammed her for being "out of touch" and not being “on the side of working people”.

What happens next?

Mr Johnson will deliver his farewell speech as prime minister outside No 10 on Tuesday morning.

The outgoing PM and Ms Truss will then make the 1,000-mile round trip to the Queen's Scottish residence, Balmoral Castle, where Mr Johnson will tender his resignation to the monarch.