Liz Truss has promised to deliver a “great victory” for the Conservative Party at a general election in 2024, as she was announced as the UK’s new prime minister.
Delivering her victory speech a stone’s throw from parliament after being declared the winner of the Tory leadership contest, Truss promised a “bold plan” to cut taxes and grow the economy and “deliver on the energy crisis”.
Truss received a standing ovation from Tory members, staff and MPs, as it was revealed she had comfortably won the race to succeed Boris Johnson.
She beat rival Rishi Sunak by 81,326 votes to his 60,399 in the poll of party members, a winning margin of 57 per cent to 43 per cent.
“I campaigned as a Conservative and I will govern as a Conservative,” Truss said. “We need to deliver over the next two years.”
In a signal she will not hold a snap early election, Truss said: “We will deliver a great victory for the Conservative Party in 2024.
“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.”
Truss also paid tribute to Johnson, who she described as her “friend”. Unlike Sunak she did not resign from the cabinet when Tory MPs moved to oust the outgoing PM.
“Boris you got Brexit done. You crushed Jeremy Corbyn. You rolled out the vaccine. And you stood up to Vladimir Putin,” she said.
Truss will travel to Scotland tomorrow to formally be appointed prime minister by the Queen at Balmoral.
She will then fly back to London and is expected to deliver her first speech as PM outside No.10, before appointing her new cabinet.
Truss takes over as PM amid deepening warnings about the impact of soaring energy costs. It was reported this morning she could announce a freeze on bills this week
Speaking before the result was announced, Labour leader Keir Starmer congratulated the next PM but said that only Labour could offer the “fresh start” the country needs.
“This week we get our fourth Tory prime minister in 12 years. But so many people are asking what have you got to show for those 12 years?” he said.
“In the Labour Party, we know whose side we’re on. And if I were going into Downing Street this week, I’d have clear common sense priorities.”