Liz Truss to Be UK's New PM Following Conservative Leadership Race

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The UK’s ruling Conservative Party announced on Monday, September 5, that Liz Truss would succeed Boris Johnson as party leader, and thus as prime minister.

Footage streamed live shows returning officer Sir Graham Brady announcing the results of the party leadership race between frontrunners Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss, and Truss’s victory speech.

Truss won the election by 81,326 votes to Sunak’s 60,399.

Truss was set to be appointed formally as prime minister by Queen Elizabeth on September 6. Credit: Conservative Party via Storyful

Video Transcript

GRAHAM BRADY: I, Sir Graham Brady, the returning officer for the Conservative and Unionist Party Leadership Election declare that the total number of eligible voters was 172,437. The turnout in the election was 82.6%, the total number of votes rejected was 654. The total number of valid votes given to each candidate was as follows-- Rishi Sunak, 60,399, Liz Truss, 81,326. Therefore I give notice that Liz Truss is elected as the leader of the Conservative and Unionist Party. Liz, come up on stage.

[APPLAUSE, CHEERING]

[INAUDIBLE]

LIZ TRUSS: Thank you, thank you very much. Thank you. Well thank you, Sir Graham. It's an honor to be elected as leader of the Conservative and Unionist Party. I'd like to thank the 1922 Committee, the party chairman, and the Conservative Party for organizing one of the longest job interviews in history.

[LAUGHTER]

Thank you very much. I'd also like to thank my family, my friends, my political colleagues, and all of those who helped on this campaign. I am incredibly grateful for all of your support. I'd like to pay tribute to my fellow candidates, particularly Rishi Sunak. It has been a hard-fought campaign. I think we have shown the depth and breadth of talent in our Conservative Party.

[APPLAUSE]

And I also want to thank our outgoing leader, my friend Boris Johnson.

[APPLAUSE]

Boris, you got Brexit done, you crushed Jeremy Corbyn, you rolled out the vaccine, and you stood up to Vladimir Putin. You were admired from Kyiv to Carlisle.

[APPLAUSE]

Friends and colleagues, thank you for putting your faith in me to lead our great Conservative Party, the greatest political party on Earth.

[APPLAUSE]

I know-- I know that our beliefs resonate with the British people. Our beliefs in freedom, in the ability to control your own life, in low taxes, in personal responsibility. And I know that's why people voted for us in such numbers in 2019. And as your party leader, I intend to deliver what we promised those voters right across our great country.

[APPLAUSE]

During this leadership campaign, I campaigned as a conservative and I will govern as a conservative.

[APPLAUSE]

And my friends, we need to show that we will deliver over the next two years. I will deliver a bold plan to cut taxes and grow our economy. I will deliver on the energy crisis, dealing with people's energy bills, but also dealing with the long-term issues we have on energy supply.

[APPLAUSE]

And I will deliver on the National Health Service.

[APPLAUSE]

But we all will deliver for our country, and I will make sure that we use all the fantastic talents of the Conservative Party. Our brilliant members of parliament and peers, our fantastic counselors, our MSes, our MSPs, all of our councilors and activists and members right across our country. Because, my friends, I know that we will deliver, we will deliver, and we will deliver. And we-- and we--

[APPLAUSE]

And we will deliver a great victory for the Conservative Party in 2024. Thank you, thank you. Thank you.

[APPLAUSE]

Thank you.