Liz Truss Becomes UK's Prime Minister, As The Queen Asks Her To Form Cabinet Following Her Tory Party Election Win
Keneci Channel
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[Update] Liz Truss Promises To Tackle Energy Crisis In First Speech As Prime Minister
In her 518-word speech Tuesday -- watched by Tory supporters and husband Hugh O'Leary, who accompanied her into their new home -- Truss promised to "transform Britain into an aspiration nation with high paying jobs, safe streets and where everyone everywhere has the opportunities they deserve."
The 56th prime minister also promised to immediately tackle the energy crisis which she blamed on caused by "Putin's war" in Ukraine. "I will take action this week to deal with energy bills and to secure our future energy supply."
Truss who She was formally appointed by the Queen earlier in the day, to form a cabinet, has already made several appointments.
Therese Coffey has been handed the role of health secretary and deputy PM in the new government. Kwasi Kwarteng has been tapped to be chancellor, James Cleverly the foreign secretary, Kemi Badenoch the international trade secretary, and Jacob Rees-Mogg the business secretary.
Defense Secretary Ben Wallace retains his job. And Wendy Morton is the first female Conservative chief whip, Penny Mordaunt is the new leader of the House of Commons.
Cabinet positions are still being filled but there appears to be a near-total purge of the backers of Rishi Sunak who Truss beat in the Conservative Party election. Even Michael Ellis -- who is the new attorney general for England and Wales -- will 'attend' cabinet rather than be a cabinet minister.
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Liz Truss defeated Rishi Sunak in the Tory leadership election to become the Conservative party leader. She traveled to Balmoral, Scotland, Tuesday, where Queen Elizabeth II is on holiday, for her formal appointment as the new prime of the United Kingdom -- the 15th of the Queen's reign, the first being Winston Churchill.
The 96-year-old Queen was pictured wearing a tartan skirt and holding her walking stick as she shakes hands with Truss. The new prime minister will give a speech later in the day on the steps of Number 10 to set the agenda for her leadership.
Earlier, outgoing prime minister Boris Johnson gave his farewell speech earlier to a packed Downing Street before travelling to Balmoral to formally tender his resignation to the Queen. He said he would "get behind Liz Truss every step of the way" and told the Conservative Party that "it is time to get behind" his successor.
Johnson also hinted at a possible political comeback, comparing himself to Cincinnatus, a Roman statesman who resigned and returned to his farm before, according to tradition, becoming leader again in later years.
Ahead of Truss' expected new cabinet appointments, several ministers have resigned, including Home Secretary Priti Patel and Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries.