Liz Truss assumed the role of the UK's prime minister on Tuesday, addressing the public in a first address in Downing Street and looking to restore a sense of purpose to a country grappling with the international energy crisis.
“We shouldn't be daunted by the challenges we face — as strong as the storm may be I know that the British people are stronger,” she declared.
The new government is expected to restore the Middle East and North Africa position in the Foreign Office, announcing a new minister to cover the region in the coming days. Backing to restore the post came from the likely new foreign secretary, who held the regional job before it was divided between three ministers.
Diplomats from the region have been unhappy with the new set up, believing that it meant Britain’s attention was not focused on key regional issues.
Ms Truss made her first address to the nation as prime minister after she flew from Scotland following an audience with the Queen at Balmoral, which saw her take over from Boris Johnson as prime minister.
“Now is the time to tackle the issues that are holding Britain back,” she went on. “We need to build roads, homes and broadband faster. We need more investment and great jobs in every town and city across our country. We need to reduce the burden on families and help people get on in life. I know that we have what it takes to tackle those challenges.
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New Conservative Party leader and Britain's Prime Minister-elect Liz Truss delivers a speech after being announced the winner of the Tory Party leadership contest in central London on September 5, 2022. Ms Truss is the UK's third female prime minister following Theresa May and Margaret Thatcher. AFP -
Liz Truss during a hustings event in Darlington in August 2022. Ms Truss and Rishi Sunak are awaiting the results of a poll of Conservative Party members deciding which of them has been selected as the new party leader, and next prime minister. PA -
Liz Truss playing pool during a visit to the Onside Future Youth Zone in London in August 2022. PA -
Boris Johnson and Ms Truss arriving for an extraordinary summit at Nato headquarters in Brussels, in March 2022. AFP -
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Ms Truss arrive for talks in Moscow in February 2022. AP -
Ms Truss in Red Square during a visit to Moscow in February 2022. Photo: No. 10, Downing Street -
Ms Truss meeting European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic (not seen) for talks in central London on the Northern Ireland Protocol on 11th February 2022. PA -
Ms Truss with Marise Payne, the Australian minister of foreign affairs, at Government House in Sydney, Australia, in January 2022. Photo: No. 10, Downing Street -
Liz Truss hosts Vice President of the European Commission Maros Sefcovic at Chevening House in January 2022 to discuss the Northern Ireland protocol. Photo: No. 10, Downing Street -
Ms Truss visits British troops in Estonia as they operate alongside other Nato troops in Tapa in November 2021. Photo: No. 10, Downing Street -
Liz Truss walks through the old town in Tallinn, Estonia, in November 2021. Photo: No. 10, Downing Street -
Ms Truss greeting Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Cop26 summit in Glasgow, in November 2021. PA -
Ms Truss at the Red Fort in New Delhi during a trip to India in October 2021. Photo: No. 10, Downing Street -
The British foreign secretary on the Plaza de la Constitucion in Mexico City, during a trip to Mexico in September 2021. Photo: No. 10, Downing Street -
Queen Elizabeth II greeting Ms Truss at a reception for international business and investment leaders at Windsor Castle in October 2021. PA -
Liz Truss with Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state, in New York, in September 2021. Photo: No. 10, Downing Street -
Ms Truss on a morning jog over Brooklyn Bridge in New York in September 2021. Photo: No. 10, Downing Street -
Former Chancellor Philip Hammond, centre, holding his red ministerial box outside 11, Downing Street, flanked by Treasury colleagues Ms Truss and Mel Stride in October 2018. PA -
Ms Truss, then secretary of state for justice, being escorted around HMP Brixton by prison governor David Bamford in November 2016. PA -
Ms Truss as she became the first woman ever to hold the role of Lord Chancellor, arriving at the Royal Courts of Justice before being installed in July 2016. PA -
In April 2016, the former environment secretary Liz Truss listening to former chancellor of the exchequer George Osborne (not seen) during his speech at the National Composites Centre in Bristol. PA -
When she was environment minister, Ms Truss visited the bridge over the River Wharfe in Tadcaster, which collapsed after heavy flooding in December 2015. Getty Images -
Addressing the Conservative party conference in Birmingham in 2014 when she was secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs. Getty Images -
Mr Truss on the Sawnnington Farm to Fork stand at the Norfolk Food Festival at the Houses Of Parliament in October 2011. PA -
Conservative Parliamentary candidate for South-West Norfolk Elizabeth Truss, while canvassing in the village of West Walton during the 2010 General Election campaign. PA -
The former Conservative Shadow Home Secretary, Dominic Grieve, centre, speaking at the launch Reform's Lawful Society report on the nature of crime and the incentives in the criminal justice system while Ms Truss looks on, in September 2008. PA -
Former Conservative Leader William Hague meeting conservative candidate for Calder valley Ms Truss, during the General Election Campaign for 2005. PA
“I will take action this day and action every day to make it happen. I will take action this week to deal with energy bills and to secure our future energy supply.”
She added: “As prime minister, I will pursue three early priorities. Firstly, I will get Britain working again. I have a bold plan to grow the economy through tax cuts and reform.
“I will cut taxes to reward hard work and boost business-led growth and investment. I will drive reform in my mission to get the United Kingdom working, building and growing.
“We will get spades in the ground to make sure people are not facing unaffordable energy bills and we will also make sure that we are building hospitals, schools, roads and broadband”.
The other priorities were the war in Ukraine and problems facing the National Health Service.
Cabinet changes
In a first, the cabinet is not likely to include any white men in the great offices of state, with the appointments of Kwasi Kwarteng as chancellor, Suella Braverman as home secretary and James Cleverly as foreign secretary.
The first order of business is to sign off on details of an energy bailout plan. Her “do what it takes” plan is expected to cost more than £100 billion ($114.9bn). The details emerging were based on the current £1,971 energy price cap plus the £400 universal handout announced under Mr Johnson’s government months ago.
Help is also expected for business customers struggling with soaring bills which are not covered by the existing energy price cap.
Expectations of a build-up of debt pushed up benchmark borrowing costs to their highest level in more than 11 years.
In his farewell speech before leaving office, Mr Johnson called for politics to be put aside and his successor given a chance. “I know that Liz Truss and this compassionate Conservative government will do everything we can to get people through this crisis and this country will endure it and we will win,” he said.
Ms Truss hopes that a low-tax economy will help to improve the government’s fortunes. “What I am about is about growing the economy and growing the economy benefits for everybody,” she declared during the campaign.
Reaction to the new prime minister's appointment
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he has invited Liz Truss to Ukraine after becoming the first foreign leader to hold a call with the new prime minister.
New polling from YouGov gave the opposition Labour party a 15 point lead on Tuesday, with the Conservatives on 28 per cent (down 3 points from August 23-24) and Labour on 43 per cent (up 4 points).
