Liz Truss is new UK PM; defeats Rishi Sunak
London, September 5: UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss (47) has become new UK Prime Minister by succeeding Boris Johnson. She defeated her rival Rishi Sunak.
Liz Truss is going to take power at a time when the country is going through a cost of living crisis, industrial unrest and recession. Truss has become the Conservatives’ fourth Prime Minister since a 2015 election.
Besides, Truss is UK's third female PM, following Theresa May and Margaret Thatcher. The race for the UM PM post began in July after Boris Johnson announced his resignation following scandals and resignations from his government. At a time, when the country is going through the crisis, Liz Truss had campaigned with a promise to slash taxes and prioritise economic growth. Notably, Britain is tipped to enter recession later this year.
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Liz Truss[/caption]
Truss has always been ahead of Rishi Sunak (42) in polling among estimated 200,000 Tory members eligible to vote.
The new British PM's political journey
In the 2001 election, Liz Truss was a Tory candidate from Hemsworth, West Yorkshire. However, she lost. Again in 2005 election, she faced defeat. In 2010, she was put on Conservative leader David Cameron's ‘A-list’ of candidates.
Outgoing PM Boris Johnson promoted Truss from international trade secretary to secretary of state for foreign, commonwealth and development affairs in September 2021, thus Truss became the second woman to be named as foreign secretary.
Her rival Rishi Sunak
India-origin British MP Rishi Sunak, also one of the frontrunners of the race to the UK prime minister’s office, had won the most number of votes (88) in the first round.
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At the early stage of the contest, the race seemed to be narrowing down into a three-way Sunak, Trade Minister Penny Mordaunt and Liz Truss clash. Born in Southampton to Indian parents, Sunak was educated at Winchester College.
-PTC News
