LIVE: Liz Truss makes first Downing Street speech as new PM
Who is Liz Truss?
Her political journey has been a strange one, from liberal Democrat to Conservative, Remainer to Brexit enthusiast, it’s hard to imagine Liz Truss walking through the famous black door of No 10.
Following Boris Johnson’s announcement that he would be stepping down as PM, a long list of Tory hopefuls set about starting their bid for office. In the beginning rounds, Liz Truss remained in a steady third place seating – Rishi Sunak in first and Penny Mordaunt second.
It is therefore surprising that Truss has now found herself heading into Downing Street as the Tory party’s next leader and therefore the country’s latest prime minister.
Surprisingly, she managed to turn MP’s opinions and gain enough backing to face a summer of hustings against Rishi Sunak. And whilst the polls had tipped Truss as the favourite between the two – the margin in which she won was far smaller than what had been predicted.
Truss is walking into an economy on the brink amid a soaring cost of living crisis that shows no signs of slowing down. Truss, the fourth Tory prime minister in the past 12 years – will now hold office until the next general election (2025).
Not only is she inheriting a disastrous economy but a litany of failures from the former prime minister means winning over the public is an uphill battle that could see the Conservative reign come to an end in the next general election.