London: Liz Truss on Monday was elected as Britain’s new Prime Minister, defeating Rishi Sunak. She has also been named as the leader of the governing Conservative Party.
She beat her rival, Indian origin Rishi Sunak, by 81,326 votes to 60,399, after a summer-long often bad-tempered and divisive party leadership contest sparked by Boris Johnson’s resignation in July.
“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,” Truss said after the result was announced.
Truss the successor to Boris is UK’s 56th prime minister, Conservatives’ fourth prime minister since a 2015 election and the third female prime minister to lead the country. The previous female prime ministers – Margaret Thatcher and Theresa May – were also from the Conservative Party
The 47-year-old was born in Oxford. Her father was a mathematics professor, and her mother, a nurse. Truss once described her parents as ‘left wing’. Her family was not a part of active politics but went to rallies calling for nuclear disarmament when former PM Margaret Thatcher allowed US nuclear warheads to be installed at RAF Greenham Common, west of London
The incoming PM faces a country in crisis and takes power following a “summer of discontent”.
Boris Johnson was forced to announce his resignation in July after months of scandal and he will travel to Scotland to meet Queen Elizabeth on Tuesday to officially tender his resignation. His successor will follow him and be asked to form a government.