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Peter Davidson

Liz Truss officially takes over as Prime Minister - here's what happens next

Liz Truss has officially taken over from Boris Johnson as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom after being appointed by The Queen in Scotland.

The Conservative party leader travelled to Balmoral for an audience with the monarch at her Aberdeenshire retreat shortly after noon.

She will now head back to Downing Street to give a speech outside Number 10 where she is expected to announce what her government will hope to achieve during her time in office. Truss was appointed after Boris Johnson also travelled north of the border to tender his resignation at around 11.30am.

The outgoing prime minister hinted that he intends to fade quietly into the background for now, comparing himself to Cincinnatus, a Roman statesman who - according to legend - returned to his farm after triumphing in battle.

He said he was like "one of those booster rockets that has fulfilled its function", and will now be "gently re-entering the atmosphere and splashing down invisibly in some remote and obscure corner of the Pacific".

"Like Cincinnatus, I am returning to my plough and I will be offering this Government nothing but the most fervent support," he added.

So, now that Truss in the new PM, what happens next?

Appointing Cabinet

Queen Elizabeth II welcomes Liz Truss during an audience at Balmoral (PA)

After meeting the Queen at Balmoral Castle on Tuesday lunchtime LIz Truss will travel back to Aberdeen International Airport to fly down to London.

She will start work immediately on the plane back to Downing Street and will begin appointing Tory MPs to serve in her Cabinet going forward.

There are around 23 Cabinet positions to fill, however it's expected the main offices of power (Chancellor, Home Secretary and Foreign Secretary) will be announced first by Truss. Other posts and junior ministers are usually announced the next day.

All candidates for the top roles need to be interviewed to avoid a conflict of interest.

First speech

After touching down in London Liz Truss will travel back to Downing Street to give her first speech as Prime Minister on the steps of Number 10. It will be the first time the country hears from Truss after she is officially appointed by the Queen.

Truss will be expected to address the main issues facing the country at the moment; the cost of living crisis, the economy, Ukraine, Brexit and Scottish independence.

The current Foreign Secretary will also say she wants to reunite the country and her party following a very divisive campaign between her and Rishi Sunak.

Nuclear letters

One of the first jobs of any new Prime Minister is to write the letters of last resort for nuclear submarine captains. Former PM David Cameron described the process in his autobiography.

He wrote: "A senior naval commander comes to your office to brief you on the options and the process. You’re then left alone with a series of alternative letters, and you decide which instructions to give.

"The others you shred in a giant, industrial-sized shredder which seems to appear in your office that morning."

Calls from foreign leaders

Liz Truss will receive calls from world leaders after being appointed (PA Images)

As soon as Truss finishes her speech on the steps of Downing Street and enters through the famous black door the phone will start ringing.

World leaders from US President Joe Biden to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will be on the phone congratulating Truss on winning the contest. One call that could be quite awkward is the one with French President Emmanuel Macron.

During the campaign Truss said the "jury was out" on whether Macron was a friend or foe to the United Kingdom.

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