Liz Truss named next prime minister after beating Rishi Sunak
After defeating Rishi Sunak in a brutal, eight-week Tory leadership race, Liz Truss has been officially named the next prime minister of the United Kingdom.
The closest Tory leadership race in history saw her win with 81,326 votes (57%) to her rivals’ 60,399 (43%).
With the impending storm of inflation, the anticipated recession, skyrocketing energy costs, and unionized workers on strike, the Foreign Secretary is facing one of the worst in-trays for a new prime minister to date.
After the outcome was announced, Ms. Truss gave a brief address in which she proclaimed it an honor to be named the victor of the Conservative leadership race against the former chancellor.
“Thank you for putting your faith in me to lead our great Conservative Party, the greatest political party on earth,” she said.
“I know that our beliefs resonate with the British people: our beliefs in freedom, in the ability to control your own life, in low taxes, in personal responsibility.
“I know that’s why people voted for us in such numbers in 2019 and as your party leader I intend to deliver what we promised those voters right across our great country.”
Additionally, she praised departing Prime Minister Boris Johnson for “getting Brexit done, crushing Jeremy Corbyn, delivering the Covid vaccine roll-out and standing up to Russian President Vladimir Putin.”
As she concluded, Ms. Truss imitated Margaret Thatcher’s speech pattern of repeating words and phrases three times: “My friends, I know that we will deliver, we will deliver, and we will deliver. And in 2024, we’ll deliver a significant victory for the Conservative Party.
