Liz Truss to become UK’s next prime minister after defeating Rishi Sunak in Boris Johnson succession race | Political news

Liz Truss will become the next prime minister after defeating Rishi Sunak in the Conservative Party leadership contest.

Ms Truss, the winning favorite, will succeed Boris Johnson on Tuesday and become the nation’s third female leader.

The secretary of state used her victory speech to indicate that she would not trigger an early general election, instead pledging to ensure “a big win for the Conservatives in 2024”.

She won by a comfortable margin, but her wins were slimmer than in other recent leadership contests.

Ms Truss said it was an “honor to be elected” as she thanked her party for hosting “one of the longest job interviews in history”.

In a brief statement after the results were announced, she thanked her “friend” Mr Johnson.

“You got Brexit done. You crushed Jeremy Corbyn. You launched the vaccine and you sided with Vladimir Putin,” she said.

Mr Johnson, who was forced to resign after a wave of ministers left his government over a series of controversies, will visit the Queen at Balmoral to officially bid to resign tomorrow.

Reacting to Ms. Truss’ victory, he said his successor “has the right plan to address the cost of living crisis, unite our party and continue the great work of unifying and develop our country”.

Mr. Sunak, the former prime minister, has also called on the Conservative Party to unite in support of Ms Truss after his death.

In a tweet, he said: “Thank you to everyone who voted for me on this campaign. I’ve said all the time that the Conservatives are a family.

“It is true that now we stand united behind the new Prime Minister, Liz Truss, as she steers the country through difficult times.”

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Ms Truss failed to gain the support of a majority of MPs during the parliamentary phase of the election, with Mr Sunak coming first among Tories colleagues.

As well as dealing with a series of difficult economic and social challenges and the ongoing war in Ukraine, Ms. Truss will have to reunite a Tory party that has spent weeks immersed in infighting in the green. .

‘I will deliver’

In her victory speech, Ms Truss said it was a “tough campaign” that showed the “depth and breadth of talent” within the party.

She also reiterated her promise to “put out a bold plan” for tax cuts and economic growth.

“I’m going to solve the energy crisis solving people’s energy bills, but also solving the long-term problems we have in terms of energy supply,” she said.

She said Tory’s belief in freedom, low taxes and individual responsibility “resonates with the British people”.

“In this leadership campaign, I have campaigned as a conservative and I will run as a conservative,” she said.

Ms Truss has vowed to draw up a plan for dealing with the energy crisis in her first week as Prime Minister, and although details are slim, speculation is growing it will include a cap freeze. energy prices.

Reacting to her victory, Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer said she “needs to show that she truly understands and can meet the challenges that are coming after 12 years of this Tory government failure”. “.

Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, also called on her to “freeze energy bills for people and businesses, provide more cash support and boost funding for public services”.

And Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey called for a general election, saying: “Under Liz Truss we will see many of the same crises and turmoil as under Boris Johnson .”

Read more:
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How will Truss alleviate the cost of living crisis?

Mr Sunak and Ms Truss were relegated to the final two candidates after five rounds of voting by Tory MPs.

The pair went head-to-head during a summer of tumult and debate on live television in which they clashed several times over their plans for the economy.

Party members have August 1 to September 2 to vote, which is counted on weekends.

Ms Truss will officially become prime minister tomorrow, when she travels to Balmoral to meet the Queen, who will invite her to form a government.

She will then return to Downing Street, where she is expected to give her first speech as Prime Minister and begin forming her cabinet.