LONDON (AP) — Liz Truss became Britain’s prime minister Tuesday and immediately faced the enormous task ahead amid mounting pressure to curb rising prices, ease labor unrest and fix a healthcare system burdened with long waiting lists and staff shortages.
At the top of their inbox is the energy crisis triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which threatens to drive energy bills to unaffordable levels, shutting down businesses and leaving the poorest people in country shivering in icy houses this winter.
Truss, who refused to outline his energy strategy during the two-month campaign to succeed Boris Johnson, now plans to cap energy bills at a cost to taxpayers of up to £100bn (£116bn dollars), British media reported on Tuesday. He is scheduled to reveal his plan on Thursday.
“You have to know the cost of living crisis in England, which is very bad at the moment,” Rebecca Macdougal, 55, who works in law enforcement, said outside the Houses of Parliament.
“She makes promises for it, as she says she will deliver, deliver, deliver,” he said. “But we’ll see, hopefully, in the next few weeks there will be some announcements that will help the average working person.”
Truss took office on Tuesday afternoon at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, when Queen Elizabeth II formally asked him to form a new government in a carefully choreographed ceremony dictated by centuries of tradition. Johnson, who announced his intention to step down two months ago, formally resigned during his own audience with the Queen shortly before.
It was the first time in the Queen’s 70-year reign that the handover of power took place at Balmoral, rather than Buckingham Palace in London. The ceremony was moved to Scotland to provide certainty over the schedule because the 96-year-old queen has had mobility problems that have forced palace officials to make decisions about her travel on a day-to-day basis.
Truss, 47, took office a day after the ruling Conservative Party chose him as leader in an election where the party’s 172,000 dues-paying members were the only voters. As party leader, Truss automatically became Prime Minister without the need for a general election because the Conservatives still have a majority in the House of Commons.
But as Prime Minister elected by less than 0.5% of British adults, Truss is under pressure to show quick results.
Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal-Democrat opposition, called an early election in October this Tuesday.
“I’ve listened to Liz Truss during the Tory leadership (campaign) and I was looking for a plan to help people with their skyrocketing energy bills, with the NHS crisis and so on, and I didn’t hear a plan,” he said. the bbc
“Given that people are so worried, given that people are losing sleep over their energy bills, that businesses are not investing because of the crisis, I think that’s very bad,” Davey said.
Johnson took note of the strains Britain faces as he left the prime minister’s official residence at 10 Downing Street for the last time, saying his policies had left the government with the economic strength to help people overcome the energy crisis.
Although many observers expect Johnson to attempt a political comeback, he backed Truss and compared himself to Cincinnatus, the Roman dictator who gave up power and returned to his farm to live in peace.
“Like Cincinnatus, I return to my plough,” he said. “And I will offer this government nothing but the most fervent support.”
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Susie Blann contributed to this story.