Liz Truss defeats Rishi Sunak to be UK's next prime minister

New Delhi: Liz Truss Monday defeated India-origin Rishi Sunak to be the new Prime Minister of Britain. She has also been named leader of the governing Conservative Party.

Truss, who defeated her rival Sunak by 81,326 votes to 60,399, will take power of the government at a time when the UK faces a cost of living crisis, industrial unrest and a recession.

Truss succeeds Boris Johnson and has become the third woman after Margaret Thatcher and Theresa May to be elected as the UK Prime Minister.

“I am honoured to be elected Leader of the Conservative Party. Thank you for putting your trust in me to lead and deliver for our great country. I will take bold action to get all of us through these tough times, grow our economy, and unleash the United Kingdom’s potential,” Truss tweeted after winning the UK’s Prime Ministerial election.

I am honoured to be elected Leader of the Conservative Party.

Thank you for putting your trust in me to lead and deliver for our great country.

I will take bold action to get all of us through these tough times, grow our economy, and unleash the United Kingdom’s potential. pic.twitter.com/xCGGTJzjqb

— Liz Truss (@trussliz) September 5, 2022

The 47-year-old UK Foreign Secretary was widely expected to clinch the ballot of an estimated 160,000 online and postal votes cast by Tory members, ending Sunak's historic run as the first member of Parliament of Indian heritage to compete for the top job at 10 Downing Street.

A combination of the Tory membership base's lingering loyalty towards outgoing Prime Minister Johnson, whom they see as being betrayed by former close ally Sunak, and Truss' pledge to cut taxes are among the key factors behind the British Indian MP failing to clinch the race.

While the over 1.5-million-strong Indian diaspora stood firmly behind the UK-born MP for Richmond in Yorkshire, other sections of the Conservative Party including those who trace their roots to other parts of the sub-continent were expected to be more divided.

Truss' campaign pledge to reverse Sunak's tax hike plans while he was Chancellor to tackle the cost-of-living crisis facing the country seems to have worked in favour.

While Sunak's approach of wanting to focus on fighting soaring inflation and using targeted measures to offer support to those most in need did connect with audiences at the nearly dozen party hustings, that clearly wasn't enough to turn the tide in his favour.

Now elected party leader, it won't be until Tuesday afternoon that Truss can formally lay claim to her new office at 10 Downing Street after predecessor Boris Johnson hands in his formal resignation to the Queen at Balmoral Castle in Scotland.

It will be followed soon after by Truss' first audience as PM-elect with the 96-year-old monarch, after which she will be flown back to London to begin announcing her new Cabinet top team.

With inputs from agencies

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