Who is Liz Truss, the new prime minister of the UK?

Who is Liz Truss, the new prime minister of the UK?
Liz Truss arrives at the Conservative Party headquarters, after being announced as Britain’s next Prime Minister, in London, Britain September 5, 2022. REUTERS/Phil Noble

In July, drama wreaked chaos on the British government. The world watched in disbelief as Boris Johnson announced he’d be stepping down as prime minister amid a mountain of scandals, one of which being a record-breaking number of resignations from his own cabinet. They did so after it was revealed that Johnson totally mishandled a sexual misconduct case within the Conservative Party. This all came after Johnson had survived a no-confidence vote for partying and breaking his own lockdown rules during the pandemic.

Yesterday, the UK’s current foreign minister Liz Truss won the leadership race for the Conservative Party against former finance minister Rishi Sunak, so she’ll become the country’s next prime minister. Truss’s winning margin is the narrowest in any Conservative leadership election held in the 21st century, and she’s the third woman to assume the role.

Right now, the UK has some major issues that Truss plans to address – the rise of household finances, record inflation, rising industrial action, the war in Europe (where the UK has been a leading supporter of Ukraine) and the energy crisis. And, it’s likely Truss will emulate Biden’s approach toward China; she’s not expected to improve relations.

Key comments:

“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 said after the election results were announced.

“It’s right we now unite behind the new PM, Liz Truss, as she steers the country through difficult times," finance minister Rishi Sunak said on Twitter after losing the race against Truss.