6 SEPTEMBER 2022 | NEWS
The new Prime Minister has made her first address to the nation following the success of her campaign to lead the country and the Conservative Party.
Liz Truss took to the steps of Number 10 Downing Street to deliver her inaugural speech, where only a few hours prior Boris Johnson had given his farewell speech following his resignation. Ms Truss gave the address after arriving from Scotland, where she was given the Queen’s approval to form a new government.
In the speech, the new Prime Minister promised to “rebuild” the economy and become “brilliant Britain”. During her address, she said: “I’m confident that together we can ride out the storm, we can rebuild our economy and we can become the modern brilliant Britain that I know we can be.
“This is our vital mission to ensure opportunity and prosperity for all people and future generations. I’m determined to deliver.”
The outgoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson, in his speech earlier in the day, gave his support to the incoming Prime Minister. He said: “I know that Liz Truss and this compassionate Conservative Government will do everything we can to get people through this crisis, and this country will endure it, and we will win.”
He also used his speech to call for unity following a tough leadership battle within the campaign. He said: “I just say to my party, if Dilyn and Larry can put behind them their occasional difficulties, then so can the Conservative Party.”
Following Liz Truss’ address, attention turned to how the positions in Cabinet would be allocated. It was announced that several Rishi Sunak supporters were to be purged from their posts, despite being stalwarts of Boris Johnson’s cabinet. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, Minister of Justice Dominic Rabb and Health Secretary Steve Barclay all lost their Ministerial positions.
Priti Patel, who was serving as Home Secretary, had already announced that she would be resigning from her position following Ms Truss’ successful campaign.
The position of Chancellor of the Exchequer, which had been held by Nadhim Zahawi and Liz Truss’ leadership contender Rishi Sunak in previous incarnations, was given to Kwasi Kwarteng, as had been widely anticipated. Mr Kwarteng had previously served as Business Secretary in Boris Johnson’s cabinet.
Mr Zahawi will now be the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, running the Cabinet Office.
Thérèse Coffey, who had been a supporter of Ms Truss throughout her leadership campaign, was appointed as the new Health Secretary to replace Steve Barclay. Critically, she has has also been given the role of Deputy Prime Minister.
The role means that she will deputise for the Prime Minister should Ms Truss be unavailable or incapacitated.
Kemi Badenoch and Suella Braverman, who both ran against Ms Truss for leader, were also given positions in the new Cabinet. Ms Braverman was announced as the new Home Secretary, taking the former position of Priti Patel.
Ms Badenoch was also appointed the new International Trade Secretary. James Cleverly was promoted to Foreign Secretary, in a move that saw Dominic Raab pushed out of the new Cabinet.
Other Ministerial appointments today included Jacob Rees-Mogg as Business Secretary, who is succeeded in the ‘Levelling-Up’ department by Simon Clarke.
Junior Ministerial roles will continue to be announced over the next 24 hours, with the new Prime Minister set to face her first round of Prime Minister’s Questions against the Leader of the Opposition, Sir Keir Starmer, around noon tomorrow.
