Liz Truss wins leadership race, set to become UK PM

Liz Truss ended her short maiden speech as Conservative leader by pledging to win the next general election — and repeatedly insisting that she will “deliver.” “We need to show that we will deliver over the next two years,” she told the audience. “We all will deliver for our country, and I will make sure that we use all the fantastic talents of the Conservative Party.”

“And we will deliver a great victory for the Conservative Party in 2024,” Truss added.  But that could be a tall order. The Conservatives are lagging behind the opposition Labour Party in opinion polls, and are now on their fourth leader since 2016.

Truss does not have to wait until 2024 to push for an election, and Labour are likely to clamor for one sooner. But the growing economic crisis shows no signs of abating, and Truss will be judged early in her premiership by how well she can tackle it.

The incoming UK prime minister has promised a “bold plan” to cut taxes and said she will address spiralling energy prices that are driving a cost-of-living crisis in the country.

But Liz Truss offered no details of what either plan will involve; throughout her campaign, her critics, including opponent Rishi Sunak, have pushed her to detail her next steps, with households facing another spike in costs next month.

“I will deliver a bold plan to cut taxes and grow our economy,” Truss said. “I will deliver on the energy crisis, dealing with people’s energy bills.”