Outgoing UK PM Boris Johnson promises full backing for Liz Truss

Truss faces a daunting to-do list, with the UK in the grip of its worst economic crisis

Published: September 06, 2022 18:25 Last updated: September 07, 2022 10:37 Compiled by Balaram Menon, Senior Web Editor with inputs from agencies

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New British Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside Downing Street in London, on Tuesday, September 6, 2022 after returning from Balmoral in Scotland where she was formally appointed by Britain's Queen Elizabeth II. Image Credit: REUTERS

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Standing outside 10 Downing Street, Britain's new Prime Minister Liz Truss poses for photographers with her husband Hugh O'Leary after delivering her first speech as Prime Minister in central London, on September 6, 2022. Image Credit: AFP

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Boris Johnson and his wife Carrie walk away after Johnson delivered his final speech outside 10 Downing Street in central London. Johnson bowed out as British prime minister on Tuesday, ending a tumultuous three years in office and bequeathing his successor Liz Truss a daunting list of problems to tackle. Image Credit: AP

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Boris Johnson delivers a speech outside 10 Downing Street, ahead of officially resigning, in London. Johnson, who was forced out of office by his own Conservative Party over a series of scandals, urged the country to come together and back his successor. Image Credit: Bloomberg

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After making a farewell speech outside Downing Street, he left London to travel to Scotland and tender his resignation to Queen Elizabeth. Image Credit: AFP

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The 47-year-old Liz Truss is tasked with steering Britain through a looming lengthy recession and an energy crisis that threatens the finances of millions of households and businesses. Image Credit: AP

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Her plan to boost the economy through tax cuts while providing tens of billions of pounds to cap energy costs has already badly rattled financial markets, prompting investors to dump the pound and government bonds. Image Credit: REUTERS

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"This is it folks," Johnson said in his speech. "What I say to my fellow Conservatives, it's time for politics to be over, folks. It's time for us all to get behind Liz Truss and her team and her programme." Image Credit: AFP

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Truss will be the fourth Conservative prime minister in six years. She confronts the latest crisis to buffet Britain with a weaker political hand than many of her predecessors after she defeated rival Rishi Sunak in a vote of Conservative Party members by a tighter margin than expected, and with more of her lawmakers initially backing her rival. Image Credit: Liz Truss Twitter

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Johnson, who fought to stay in office until the end, used his departure speech to boast of his successes, including an early vaccine programme during the coronavirus pandemic and his early support for Ukraine in its battle against Russia. Image Credit: REUTERS

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He urged his ruling Conservative party to put aside their differences to tackle the energy crisis that looks set to dominate Truss's immediate future. "If Dilyn (his dog) and Larry (the Downing Street cat) can put behind them their occasional difficulties then so can the Conservative party," he added. Image Credit: REUTERS

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Truss was announced winner of an internal vote of Conservative party members on Monday, after a gruelling contest that began in July. Image Credit: AP

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Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Liz Truss meet at Balmoral Castle in Ballater, Scotland, where the Queen invited Truss to form a Government. Image Credit: AFP

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In her acceptance speech on Monday, Truss ruled out seeking her own mandate from the public at an early general election, vowing victory in 2024. Image Credit: REUTERS

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Recent opinion polls suggest a sizeable chunk of the British public have no faith in her ability to tackle the cost-of-living crisis. A new poll by YouGov said only 14 per cent expect Truss to do a better job than Johnson. Image Credit: AFP

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Outgoing UK PM Boris Johnson promises full backing for Liz Truss

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