Liz Truss named as UK’s third woman Prime Minister

Liz Truss

LONDON, AFP: Britain’s new Conservative leader Liz Truss Monday vowed “bold” action to confront a biting economic crisis as she was confirmed as successor to Prime Minister Boris Johnson after a gruelling party contest.

The foreign secretary also resisted pressure for a politically perilous early election to confirm her new mandate, vowing to “deliver a great victory for the Conservative party in 2024”.

Truss beat her rival, former Finance Minister Rishi Sunak, by about 57% to 43% after a summer-long contest decided by just over 170,000 Conservative members -- a tiny sliver of Britain’s electorate.

Truss ignored the applauding Sunak as she marched up to the stage of the central London convention hall, calling it an “honour” to be elected after undergoing “one of the longest job interviews in history”.

“I campaigned as a conservative, and I will govern as a conservative,” she said, touting Tory values of low taxes and personal responsibility. Truss vowed a “bold plan” to address tax cuts and the energy crisis. Details are expected in the coming days.

Truss, 47, will be only the UK’s third female Prime Minister following Theresa May and Margaret Thatcher. She will formally take office on Tuesday, after Johnson tenders his resignation to Queen Elizabeth II.