Liz Truss Elected United Kingdom’s 56th prime minister, Defeating Rishi Sunak

Liz Truss became United Kingdom’s 56th prime minister and the third female prime minister to lead the country. Today winning an internal leadership contest, Truss beat her rival, former finance minister Rishi Sunak, by 81,326 votes to 60,399. 

The chair of the 1922 Committee of the Conservative Party and returning officer Sir Graham Stuart Brady declared the election results. With her victory, Truss has become the Conservatives' fourth prime minister since a 2015 election.

Liz Truss will now face the task of reshaping the economy, controlling inflation, industrial unrest, and a recession impacting the entire European continent. Currently, the country is facing a long recession triggered by sky-rocketing inflation, as reported. 

Liz Truss Elected UK's 56th Prime Minister, Tells Her Plans

Truss after the results stated, "We need to show that we will deliver over the next two years. 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.”

Truss will also head to the Balmorals for her first meeting with the Queen as the prime minister. PM will soon decide on who will get the top cabinet posts. Boris Johnson will hand over his resignation to Queen Elizabeth II at her Scottish retreat.

After a six-week long head-to-head competition, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak had explained their long-term visions for Britain. Both contenders went through bouts of 12 nationwide events with the first bout in Leeds, Northern England. Earlier, a government poll revealed that Truss is in a 24-point lead over Sunak. With the lead at this stage, reports forecasted the victory of Liz Truss, today results say the same.

Suggested Reading- 5 Things To Know About The Debate Between UK PM Candidates Liz Truss And Rishi Sunak

Who is Liz Truss? 

Liz Truss, a British minister, formerly served as the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Affairs (2021), and Minister for Women and Equalities (2019). Since 2010 she has also been a Member of Parliament (MP) for South West Norfolk. 

Mary Elizabeth Truss, born in 1975, hails from Oxford, England. Her father John Kenneth is a professor of pure mathematics at the University of Leeds, and her mother, Priscilla Mary Truss is a nurse, teacher, and member of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. Her mother has been her constant support throughout her political journey, also campaigning for her when she decided to stand for parliament elections for the conservative party.