Liz Truss will replace Boris Johnson as prime minister after defeating Rishi Sunak in the Conservative Party leadership race.
Sir Graham Brady, the 1922 Committee chair, announced on Monday that Ms Truss won with 81,326 votes to Mr Sunak’s 60,399, following a bruising six-week contest marked by blue-on-blue attacks and dire warnings over her economic plans in the face of the cost of living crisis.
After being handed the keys to No 10 at Balmoral on Tuesday, Ms Truss “will face one of the most difficult inheritances of any prime minister” in the past 50 years, warned former No 10 chief of staff Gavin Barwell.
In contrast with her campaign rhetoric, reports suggest Ms Truss is considering freezing energy bills if she wins the keys to No 10, with The Times suggesting the package could be on the scale of the Covid furlough scheme introduced by Mr Sunak while chancellor.
Senior Tory MP Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown urged his party to support whatever energy plan the next prime minister announces, warning that “divided parties do not win elections”.
