The World Briefly

September 06, 2022

Changing of the Guard

United Kingdom

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Foreign Secretary Liz Truss will become the UK’s new prime minister after winning the leadership race within the ruling Conservative Party, CNBC reported Monday.

From an 82 percent turnout of party members voting in the leadership ballot, Truss secured about 57 percent of the total vote, defeating her rival, former Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, who received 42 percent.

Truss is set to replace outgoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who stepped down in July following a series of political controversies and scandals that resulted in multiple resignations within his cabinet – including Sunak.

Truss was one of the few high-level officials who remained loyal to Johnson.

The foreign minister will take the new post once Johnson tenders his resignation to Queen Elizabeth II, who will then officially appoint Truss.

Truss campaigned on promises to cut taxes and deal with long-term issues regarding the country’s energy supply. She has also vowed to deliver a victory for the Conservatives at the 2024 general election.

Even so, the new prime minister – and party leader – faces arduous tasks ahead, including governing a very fractious Conservative party.

Truss’ major responsibility will be to lead a country facing the worst cost-of-living crisis in decades, while maintaining support for Ukraine amid its ongoing war with Russia.

She plans to unveil a series of measures within a week of taking office to help struggling Brits, but many economists stressed that the package must be extraordinarily large in order to help the country through a winter of crisis.

This story originally appeared in the September 06, 2022 newsletter, Pinned Down.