UK PM Election Results | 'Unite Behind New PM': Rishi Sunak as Truss Wins Race
Catch all the live updates regarding the UK PM announcement here.
Liz Truss
(Photo: The Quint)
Conservative Party members on Monday, 5 September, elected Liz Truss to be their next leader, effectively making her the next prime minister of the United Kingdom.
Truss will take over from Boris Johnson on Tuesday.
Foreign Secretary Truss defeated the former Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak, garnering 81,326 Tory votes, compared to Sunak’s share of 60,399 votes. A total turnout of 82.6% was recorded.
Following the declaration of results, Sunak urged all conservative mumbers to unite behind Truss.
The voting within the Tory party officially closed on 2 September.
Sunak had previously indicated that he would not serve in a government led by Truss.
The electoral contest for the top post commenced following PM Boris Johnson's resignation as the Conservative Party chief on 7 July.
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Who is Liz Truss?
The UK government's main official with respect to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Elizabeth Truss has been the Foreign Secretary since September last year.
Truss has been responsible for a broad range of Cabinet responsibilities, including environment and justice, before taking on foreign affairs.
Following the slew of resignations from Johnson's cabinet, including Sunak's, Truss had made it clear that she will stay loyal to Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Who is Rishi Sunak?
Rishi Sunak, who served as the UK's Chancellor of the Exchequer for over two years, has been a Member of Parliament from Richmond since 2015.
He served as the Chief Secretary to the Treasury before being appointed as the Chancellor of the Exchequer in 2020.
Sunak was quite popular with the British public for most of his tenure. By early 2022, however, his charm began to wane, with his economic policies failing to resolve the cost-of-living crisis.
If Sunak wins his run-off against the Foreign Secretary, he will become the first non-white prime minister of the UK.
Truss Expected To Prevail Over Sunak
One of the recent surveys conducted by ConservativeHome, the results of which were published on 17 August, revealed that the Foreign Secretary is 32 points ahead of the former Chancellor.
As per the survey, Truss commanded the support of around 60 percent of the Tories, while Sunak stood at 28 percent. Around 9 percent were undecided.
According to its website, ConservativeHome "is Britain's leading independent conservative news and analysis site."
PM Boris Arrives at Downing Street for Last Day in Office
Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrived at 10 Downing Street for his last full day in office on Monday morning.
After he decided to resign from the top post, Johnson has been commuting from Chequers, where he chose to reside at the fag end of his tenure.
How is the Next PM Being Chosen?
After several voting rounds were conducted within the party, Sunak and Truss emerged as the two contenders for the post of party chief.
The next party leader will also replace Boris Johnson, to be the country's new PM.
You can read about the party's electoral process in detail here.
Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak Arrive at Queen Elizabeth II Centre
Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak arrive at the Queen Elizabeth II centre in London's Westminster, ahead of the declaration of results.
Sir Graham Brady to Announce the Results
Chair of the 1922 Committee, Sir Graham Brady, gears up to announce the results.
Liz Truss Declared Tory Party Chief, To Be Next UK PM
Liz Truss declared the new Conservative Party chief. She will take over as the British Prime Minister tomorrow, when she visits the Queen in Balmoral for an invitation to form her government.
I Intend to Deliver What We Promised: Truss
Resuming her speech after the win, Truss indicates that the beliefs of the Conservative party, “in freedom, in the ability to control your own life, in low taxes, in personal responsibility”, resonate with the public.
"As your party leader, I intend to deliver what we promised... I will deliver a bold plan to cut taxes and grow our economy. I will deliver on the energy crisis," she said.
She also added that she will deliver on the health service.
British lawmaker Liz Truss speaks after winning the Conservative Party leadership contest at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre in London.
Labour Party Chief Congratulates Truss
Chief of the Labour Party, Keir Starmer, congratulated Truss after her win on Monday.
However, criticising the Tories, he added:
Japan PM Congratulates Truss
Prime Minister of Japan, Fumio Kishida, congratulates Liz Truss on her win, tweets "It is my pleasure to collaborate closely with you to realize a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific”.
'I Know She Has the Right Plan': Boris Johnson Congratulates Truss
Outgoing PM Boris Johnson tweeted:
PM Modi Congratulates Liz Truss
Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded Truss on her win, saying:
'It's Right We Now Unite Behind The New PM': Rishi Sunak
After the declaration of results, Truss' contender, Rishi Sunak thanked Tory members for voting for him and urged conservative leaders to unite behind Truss.
He added:
'Time to Scrap Energy Price Hike': Lib Dem Leader Calls for a General Election
Ed Davey, the Lib Dem leader, reacts to Liz Truss’s by urging for a general election.
"Under Liz Truss, we're set to see more of the same crisis and chaos as under Boris Johnson," Davey writes on Twitter.
'Must Work in Full Respect of Our Agreements': EU Chief to Liz Truss
The president of the European Union, Ursula von der Leyen, congratulates truss, saying "I look forward to a constructive relationship, in full respect of our agreements."